Fuel loading completed at third Fuqing unit
The loading of all 157 fuel assemblies into the reactor core of unit 3 of the Fuqing nuclear power plant in China's Fujian province has been completed. The unit is expected to start up later this year.The loading of all 157 fuel assemblies into the reactor core of unit 3 of the Fuqing nuclear power plant in China's Fujian province has been completed. The unit is expected to start up later this year.
.jpg "Fuqing 3 fuel loading - 460 (CNNC)") |
| Fuel loading operation under way at Fuqing 3 (Image: CNNC) |
China's National Nuclear Safety Administration issued a licence on 1 April for fuel to be loaded into the reactor. The process began at 3.00am the following day and was completed on 4 April, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced today.
CNNC's Fuqing plant will eventually house six Chinese-designed PWRs, the first four being 1087 MWe CPR-1000 pressurized water reactors. Unit 1 started up in July 2014, was connected to the grid the following month and entered commercial operation in November. Unit 2 achieved first criticality in July 2015 and entered commercial operation last October.
.jpg "Fuqing 3 reactor core - 460 (CNNC)") |
| All 157 fuel assemblies are now in the unit's core (Image: CNNC) |
Ground was broken in June 2009 for Fuqing unit 3 and 4. Containment pressure tests were successfully completed at unit 3 last August. Unit 3 is expected to start up later this year, while unit 4 is scheduled to start up in 2017.
China's State Council gave final approval for construction of Fuqing units 5 and 6 in mid-April. First concrete was poured for the fifth unit in May 2015, while that for unit 6 was poured in December. These will be demonstration indigenously-designed Hualong One reactors.
The Fuqing nuclear power plant project is owned by CNNC subsidiary China Nuclear Power Company (51%); Huadian Fuxin Energy Company (39%); and Fujian Investment and Development Group (10%).
Researched and written
by World Nuclear News
