Unit 5 of the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China's Jiangsu province has been connected to the grid for the first time. The 1080 MWe domestically-designed ACPR1000 pressurised water reactor achieved the milestone at 19:52 local time on 8 August, China National Nuclear Corporation announced today.
The Tianwan nuclear power plant in Jiangsu province (Image: CNNC)
The unit, which achieved first criticality on 27 July, will now undergo tests at 30%, 50% and 100% of its generating capacity before entering a full power demonstration operating assessment, CNNC said. During this assessment stage, the performance indicators of the unit will need to meet design standards and the relevant requirements of the power grid, which will indicate that the unit has achieved formal commercial operating conditions.
Unit 5 and unit 6 at Tianwan - Tianwan Phase III - both feature ACPR1000 reactors. First safety-related concrete was poured for unit 5 on 27 December 2015, with that for unit 6 poured on 7 September 2016.
