Grid connection for Hongyanhe 4

Friday, 1 April 2016

Unit 4 of the Hongyanhe nuclear power plant in China's Liaoning province today began supplying electricity to the grid. The reactor is expected to enter commercial operation later this year.

Phase I - comprising four CPR-1000 units - of the Hongyanhe plant (Image: SNPTC)

The 1087 MWe CPR-1000 pressurized water reactor was connected to the grid at 9.52am today, China General Nuclear (CGN) said. Its grid connection came just two days after the connection of unit 4 at CGN's Ningde plant in Fujian province.

Construction of Phase I of the Hongyanhe plant, comprising four CPR-1000 pressurized water reactors, began in August 2009. Units 1 and 2 have been in commercial operation since June 2013 and May 2014, respectively, while unit 3 entered commercial operation last August.

Work on the nuclear island at Hongyanhe 4 officially began in August 2009. The dome of its reactor building was successfully lowered into place in September 2011. China's National Nuclear Safety Administration issued a licence on 15 January for fuel to be loaded into the reactor. That process was completed on 18 January. Hongyanhe 4 achieved first criticality on 5 March. The unit is scheduled to enter commercial operation in the first half of this year after the completion of a series of tests to verify the unit's safety function.

The construction of Phase II of the Hongyanhe plant - units 5 and 6 - was approved last year and building work started in March and July 2015, respectively. These units - featuring 1080 MWe CGN-designed ACPR1000 reactors - are scheduled to begin operating in 2019 and 2020.

According to CGN, once all six units are in operation, the Hongyanhe plant will generate around 45 billion kWh of electricity annually, avoiding the need to burn some 15 million tonnes of coal for power generation and the resulting emissions of some 40 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.

The Hongyanhe plant is owned and operated by Liaoning Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Co, a joint venture between CGN and State Power Investment Corporation, each holding a 45% stake, with the Dalian Municipal Construction Investment Co holding the remaining 10%.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News