Third Yangjiang unit connected to grid

Tuesday, 20 October 2015

Unit 3 of China General Nuclear's (CGN's) Yangjiang plant in Guangdong province has been connected to the electricity grid. The reactor is expected to enter commercial operation by the end of the year.

Yangjiang units 3 and 4, pictured in April 2015 (Image: CGN)

Plant constructor China Nuclear Industry 23 Construction Company Limited announced today that the unit was connected to the grid at 3.00pm on 18 October. Grid connection marks "formal entry into the commercial operation preparation phase", the company said.

A series of tests will now be conducted at Yangjiang 3 before it enters commercial operation later this year.

Construction of the unit began in November 2010. The loading of fuel assemblies into the reactor's core was completed on 11 September this year, with the unit achieving first criticality on 11 October.

Six units are planned for the Yangjiang site by CGN. The first two units are 1021 MWe (net) CPR-1000 pressurized water reactors, with units 3 and 4 being 1089 MWe CPR-1000+ units, and units 5 and 6 being 1080 MWe ACPR-1000s. Unit 1 entered commercial operation in March, while unit 2 began commercial operation in June. Unit 4 - construction of which began in late 2012 - is scheduled to start up in 2017.

First concrete for unit 5 was poured in September 2013, with that for unit 6 following three months later.

All six reactors should be in operation by 2019, producing a total of around 6100 MWe.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News