New Chinese unit connected to the grid

Thursday, 6 August 2015

Unit 2 of the Fuqing nuclear power plant in China's Fujian province has been connected to the electricity grid. It is expected to enter commercial operation by the end of the year.

Fuqing 2 starts supplying electricity to the grid (Image: CNNC)

The 1087 MWe CPR-1000 pressurized water reactor (PWR) was connected to the grid at 1.47am local time today, plant owner China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced.

Construction of unit 2 began in September 2009. The loading of 157 fuel assemblies into the reactor's core was carried out in May this year, following the successful completion of hot testing of the unit's nuclear island. The unit achieved first criticality on 22 July.

CNNC said various tests would now be carried out at Fuqing 2 - including load tests and transient testing - before the unit enters commercial operation later this year.

The Fuqing plant will eventually house six Chinese-designed PWRs. Unit 1 started up in July 2014, was connected to the grid the following month and entered commercial operation in November. Ground was broken in June 2009 for Fuqing unit 3 and 4, which will also feature CPR-1000 reactors. Unit 3 should begin operation in late-2015, while unit 4 is scheduled to start up in 2017.

CNNC said that the localization rate in construction of units 1 and 2 was over 75%, while that of units 3 and 4 is expected to exceed 80%.

Last November CNNC announced that the fifth and sixth units at the Fuqing site will use the indigenously-designed Hualong One design, marking its first deployment. China's State Council gave final approval for construction of Fuqing units 5 and 6 in mid-April. First concrete for unit 5 was poured in May.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News