Sanmen 2 vessel delivered

The reactor pressure vessel for China's Sanmen 2 has been delivered to the construction site in preparation of its installation. It is the first AP1000 vessel to be domestically produced.

The giftwrapped reactor vessel arrives at the Sanmen 2 construction site (Image: SNPTC)

 
A ceremony was held on 5 August to mark the successful delivery of the vessel, manufactured by China First Heavy Industries (CFHI) under the supervision of Westinghouse. Attendees included representatives from the National Energy Board, China's National Nuclear Security Administration, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, as well as from the Dalian municipal government.

Two AP1000s are under construction at the Sanmen site in Zhejiang province, eastern China, with another two being built at Haiyang in Shandong province.

The vessels for the first units at Sanmen and Haiyang were both produced in South Korea by Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction using some forgings fabricated by CFHI. The Chinese company produced the first forging for the component in July 2007 under the supervision of China's National Nuclear Safety Administration and supported by several companies involved in the Sanmen plant project, including State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC), Westinghouse and Doosan. Together, the companies had strict control of quality during the manufacturing process. The vessel for Haiyang 2, supplied by Shanghai Electric Group, recently completed pressure testing ahead of its delivery.

SNPTC has a major role in the transfer of knowledge and technology from the plant supplier, Westinghouse, through agreements featured in the 2007 deal to build the units at Sanmen and Haiyang. China wants to progressively become self-sufficient in deploying AP1000s and its own derivatives.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News