Work starts on Fuqing 6 containment building

The first steel lining module for the containment building of Fuqing 6 - the second Hualong One unit under construction at the site in Fujian province - has been installed, plant builder China Nuclear Engineering Corporation has announced.

The first steel lining module for the containment building of Fuqing 6 - the second Hualong One unit under construction at the site in Fujian province - has been installed, plant builder China Nuclear Engineering Corporation (CNEC) has announced.

The first module of the containment building is lowered into place (Image: CNNC)

Installation of the prefabricated steel ring - with a diameter of some 46 meters, a height of over 7 meters and a thickness of just 6 millimetres, and weighing 180 tonnes - took more than three hours to complete yesterday.

The company said the milestone marks a new phase in the civil construction of the unit.

In November 2014, plant owner China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced the fifth and sixth units at Fuqing will use the domestically-developed Hualong One reactor design, marking its first deployment. The company had previously expected to use the ACP1000 design for those units, but plans were revised in line with a re-organisation of the Chinese nuclear industry. China's State Council gave final approval for construction of Fuqing units 5 and 6 in mid-April.

The pouring of first concrete for the reactor basemats for Fuqing 5 and 6 - marking the official start of construction of the units - took place in May and December 2015, respectively. Fuqing 5 and 6 are scheduled to be completed in 2019 and 2020.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News