China Civilian Nuclear Industry, Technology, Exports and Supply Chain: News & Discussions

[JSCh]

Core part of China's nuclear reactor powered by Hualong One will finish up installation
By Fan Yixin, Gao Yun
2018-01-28 12:11 GMT+8
Updated 2018-01-28 13:30 GMT+8

A pressure vessel powered by China’s self-developed Hualong One technology is expected to finish its installation on the No. 5 unit reactor by 6:00 p.m. BJT on Sunday.

The reactor pressure vessel (RPV), a core part of a nuclear power unit, weighs over 300 tons and endures high levels of radiation and pressure, and soaring temperatures for the next 60 years. It will serve as a safety barrier for the nuclear reactor.

The installation on Sunday showcases China’s highest level of research and development in nuclear technology. The project is being conducted at Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant based in Fujian Province.

The No. 5 unit arrived at the site the day before and was transferred to the 16.5-meter platform of the reactor plant for the follow-up installation.

The Aerial photo taken on May 25, 2017 shows the Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant No. 5 unit (L) and No. 6 unit in Fuqing, southeast China's Fujian Province. /Xinhua Photo

The Hualong One technology is a pressurized water reactor design that is used in homegrown third-generation reactors. It is China’s only domestically-developed third-generation nuclear technology that has so far gone international.

The technology increases the reactor’s safety performance and “can even withstand a tsunami of the strength that triggered Japan's Fukushima disaster," said Xue Junfeng, vice chief engineer of the Hualong One reactors in an interview in 2016.

There are now six units with Hualong One technology under construction: the No. 5 and 6 units of China National Nuclear Corporation, the No. 3 and 4 units of China General Nuclear Power Group (CGNP), and the K2 and K3 units in Pakistan – the first overseas project that Hualong One has been part of.

Development of Hualong One technology

The joint development of Hualong One technology was started in April 2013 by CGNP and China National Nuclear Corporation.

An expert panel from the National Energy Administration and Nuclear Safety Administration approved the technical design on August 22, saying the technology’s maturity, security and economical efficiency met the third-generation nuclear technology requirements and suggesting the launch of the pilot project.

Construction of the Hualong One pilot project

The construction of the world’s first pilot project using Hualong One, the No. 5 unit, began on May 7, 2015.

The installation of the dome for the No. 5 unit /Xinhua Photo

A containment dome for the pilot was successfully installed on May 25, 2017, marking the completion of construction work on the pilot project and the beginning of the assembly stage.

Development of the Hualong One electric generator

Self-developed by Dongfang Electric Machinery Co. Ltd., the first Hualong One electric generator passed modelling tests on November 6, 2017 with all rubrics reaching or surpassing the design requirements.

It marks the success of China’s first homemade Hualong One electric generator.

Development of Hualong One RPV

The RPV was designed by the Nuclear Power Institute of China and manufactured by China First Heavy Industries. With a new reactor-core structure design, its projected lifetime has been prolonged from 40 to 60 years.

The RPV was completed and successfully delivered on August 20, 2017 in northeast China’s Dalian City after about four years’ construction. It was transferred to the No. 5 unit on January 17, 2018, to start installation.

 

[JSCh]

Installation of Hualong one Reactor Pressure Vessel has started at Fuqing unit no. 5 nuclear plant.

 

[JSCh]

Key equipment of ITER project produced by Chinese enterprise, shipped to France
(People's Daily Online) 16:54, January 29, 2018

Nuclear pressure equipment, a key one of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, has been produced by a Chinese enterprise and shipped to France, according to China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) on Jan. 28, Xinhuanet.com reported.

The equipment, used in nuclear fusion, is the first of its kind successfully developed by China. The four steam traps, also known as “VST,” have passed a series of acceptance tests.

Gao Feng, a vice director with the enterprise disclosed that the delivery cycle of the equipment is only 15 months, half that of the same type of nuclear power equipment.

Gao added that the smooth delivery fully displays Chinese enterprises’ capability in equipment manufacturing and project management.

ITER, currently under construction in southern France with an investment of 15 billion Euros, is a 10-year-old international project aimed at exploring the commercial use of fusion power, the same energy source that our Sun uses to light and warm Earth.

ITER nuclear fusion project parts shipped to France
2018-01-30 10:25 Ecns.cn Editor:Mo Hong'e

Vapor suppression tanks (VSTs), critical parts for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in France, are prepared to be loaded onto a tanker in Zhangjiagang City, East China's Jiangsu Province, Jan. 28, 2018. Chinese companies shipped four critical parts to be used in the international nuclear fusion project. Costing around 15 billion euros, ITER is the largest international scientific cooperation project in the world. It is exploring commercial uses for fusion power. China has invested 4 billion yuan (about 600 million U.S. dollars) in the ITER project over the past 10 years, the Ministry of Science and Technology said. (Photo: China News Service/Zhong Sheng)

 

[JSCh]

Hot testing of Sanmen 2 AP1000 completed
01 February 2018

Unit 2 of the Sanmen nuclear power plant in China's Zhejiang province has successfully completed pre-operational testing, State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation announced yesterday. Sanmen 1 is expected to be the first Westinghouse AP1000 to begin operating later this year, with Sanmen 2 also set to start up in 2018.

A worker inspects equipment at Sanmen 2 during the hot tests (Image: SNPTC)

The hot tests - which were carried out over 77 days - aim to simulate the temperatures and pressures which the reactor's systems will be subjected to during normal operation. This important phase ensures coolant circuits and nuclear safety systems are functioning properly before fuel can be loaded.

Cold hydrostatic testing of Sanmen 2's primary circuit was completed on 2 September. Those tests involved filling the reactor's primary circuit with water, which is circulated at high pressure by the reactor coolant pumps to verify that the welds, joints, pipes and components of the reactor coolant system and associated high-pressure systems meet regulatory standards. The coolant pumps will help to maintain the reactor's internal temperature at a safe level during operation.

Two AP1000 units are under construction at both the Sanmen site and at Haiyang in Shandong province. Sanmen 1 is expected to be the first Westinghouse AP1000 to begin operating later this year. Hot testing of Sanmen 1 was completed on 30 June. Haiyang 1 and Sanmen 2 are also expected to begin operating by the end of this year, with Haiyang 2 expected to start up in 2019.

Four AP1000 reactors were also being built in the USA - two each at Vogtle and Summer. However, construction of the two Summer units was suspended in August.


http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Hot-testing-of-Sanmen-2-AP1000-completed-0102184.html

 

[cirr]

自主研发聚变裂变混合堆进入关键阶段

　　记者12日从中国工程物理研究院核物理与化学研究所获悉，我国自主研发设计的聚变裂变混合堆项目，已完成了混合堆总体概念设计及Z箍缩聚变堆芯、次临界能源包层等概念设计，正进入实验堆的关键技术研究阶段。

　　可实现聚变、裂变、造钚和造氚等核反应相互支持的聚变裂变混合反应堆，具有安全可靠、资源持久、环境友好、防止核扩散等特点，由于其在铀循环利用中，可将资源利用率提高到90%以上，也被誉为“千年能源”。

　　在国防科工局核能开发项目支持下，目前该所混合堆团队已完成了混合堆总体概念设计，及Z箍缩聚变堆芯、次临界能源包层和燃料循环等主要分系统的概念设计，并于今年通过国防科工局组织的项目现场验收，技术指标体系全面满足预定要求。在该项目攻关期间，研究团队已在“局部整体点火”聚变靶及与之配套的负载、靶设计、靶室设计、次临界包层设计、重频LTD、干法后处理、余氚回收等方面取得了一系列技术突破，先后获授权发明专利15项。

　　研究团队负责人李正宏研究员表示，在上述成果基础上，聚变裂变混合反应堆正进入一个新的阶段——Z箍缩驱动聚变裂变混合实验堆关键技术研究阶段，未来团队将逐步建立综合研究平台，对涉及的物理、技术、材料和工程问题进行系统研究、开发与验证，以逐步形成Z箍缩聚变裂变混合堆工程化应用的成套技术，“为聚变能源技术尽早大规模服务于人类经济社会创造条件。”

　　李正宏说，该项目研发将有利于我国惯性约束聚变能源科学、技术与工程体系的构建，促进Z箍缩直接驱动—整体点火等重大科技创新概念的完善，推动高增益聚变燃烧物理、高功率脉冲技术、高峰值功率次临界堆、复杂体系氚“自持”循环等一批尖端科技的发展。

http://scitech.people.com.cn/n1/2017/1213/c1007-29703506.html

 

[JSCh]

China to build the country’s first heating nuclear reactor
(People's Daily Online) 17:27, February 08, 2018

[File photo]

Chinese energy authorities on Wednesday agreed to conduct research on the feasibility of building the country’s first heating nuclear reactor in an effort to generate reliable winter heating amid China’s reduction of coal consumption.

According to news portal ThePaper.cn, China’s National Energy Administration has already appointed Tsinghua University and China General Nuclear Group (CGNG) to find a location, develop emergency plans, and gather public opinion. Once the reactor is built, it will help solve the problem of air pollution that has choked smog-prone major cities in China.

Shu Guogang, vice director of CGNG, told ThePaper.cn that the heating reactor will use NHR200-II low-temperature nuclear heating reactor technologies, which was developed by Tsinghua University. Shu noted that the technology is more suitable for industrial steam supply and is safer and more efficient.

“Once the plan is fulfilled, we can use the successful experience for mass production of heating nuclear reactors, reducing the production phase to two or three years,” said Shu.

Nuclear power has been emphasized by China’s energy authorities in recent years after the country’s deteriorating air quality forced the government to cut coal consumption. The State Council in January approved the restructuring of two leading Chinese nuclear companies to improve the country’s research ability and commercial use of nuclear technologies.

 

[JSCh]

China to start building up to eight reactors in 2018
07 March 2018

China will "steadily promote" the development of nuclear power this year, according to a plan released today by the country's National Energy Administration (NEA). The plan calls for five new nuclear power reactors to be brought online in 2018 and construction to be started on a further six to eight units.

In its Energy Work Guidance Opinion for 2018, the NEA said China's installed nuclear generating capacity would be boosted by a total of 6 GWe this year with the start-up of the Sanmen 1 and Haiyang 1 AP1000s, the Taishan 1 EPR, the Tianwan 3 VVER-1000 and the Yangjiang 5 ACPR1000.

Two AP1000 units are under construction at both the Sanmen site and at Haiyang in Shandong province. Sanmen 1 is expected to be the first Westinghouse AP1000 to begin operating. Hot testing of Sanmen 1 and Haiyang 1 was completed in June and July last year, respectively. The Taishan 1 EPR has finished the hot functional tests of its commissioning and will be the first EPR to operate. Tianwan 3 was connected to the grid on 30 December and is under trial operation before the start of commercial operation. Yangjiang 5 is also scheduled to begin operating this year.

China will also "actively promote the construction of approved projects with conditions [and] plans to start 6 to 8 units during the year", the NEA said. However, it did not name them or state the type of reactors they will feature. In its plan for 2017, the Administration said preparatory work would be carried out last year on eight units. These included units 3 and 4 of Sanmen, units 5 and 6 of Ningde, and two units each at new plants at Zhangzhou in Fujian province and Huizhou in Guangdong province.

In addition, the plan calls for site selection work to be carried out for further coastal nuclear power plant projects.

The plan also wants China to "continue to implement major nuclear science and technology projects, build a sharing system for experimental platforms for nuclear power technology and equipment, speed up the establishment of major projects for small-scale reactors and actively promote the comprehensive utilisation of nuclear energy".

Under the latest Five-Year Plan - published in March 2016 - China should have some 58 GWe of nuclear generating capacity in operation by 2020, up from the current capacity of almost 35 GWe. In addition, a further 30 GWe of nuclear capacity will be under construction by 2020.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News


China to start building up to eight reactors in 2018

 

[Jlaw]

How many reactors is China planning to build in the next decade?

 

[JSCh]

Reactor vessel installation under way at Hongyanhe 5
20 March 2018

The reactor pressure vessel for unit 5 of the Hongyanhe nuclear power plant has been delivered to the construction site in China's Liaoning province. Installation of the component began immediately.

The reactor vessel arrives at the Hongyanhe site (Image: CGN)​

The vessel - measuring 13 meters in height, 4m in diameter and weighing over 300 tonnes - arrived by ship at the Hongyanhe site on 18 March. On arrival, the component - manufactured by Shanghai Electric Nuclear Power Equipment Co Ltd - was transported directly to the nuclear island gantry of unit 5. China General Nuclear (CGN) said work to install the vessel began straight away.

CGN said this marks the start of peak installation of the main equipment for the unit's nuclear island.

Unit 5 is the first of two 1080 MWe CGN-designed ACPR-1000 reactors that will form the second phase of the Hongyanhe plant.

Construction of Phase I of the plant, comprising four CPR-1000 pressurised water reactors, began in August 2009. Units 1 and 2 have been in commercial operation since June 2013 and May 2014, respectively, while unit 3 entered commercial operation in August 2015 and unit 4 in September 2016.

A ceremony to mark the breaking of ground for Phase II of the Hongyanhe plant was held in July 2010. Following a suspension in new reactor approvals and licensing in response to the March 2011 accident at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant, CGN eventually received approval from the National Development and Reform Commission in March 2015 to build Hongyanhe units 5 and 6. This marked the first approval for new reactors in four years.

Construction of unit 5 began on 29 March 2015, with construction of unit 6 starting in July the same year. Installation of the reactor pressure vessel of unit 6 is scheduled to begin by the end of this year. CGN said the second phase of the project is planned to be completed in 2021.

The Hongyanhe plant is owned and operated by Liaoning Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Co, a joint venture between CGN and State Power Investment Corporation, each holding a 45% stake, with the Dalian Municipal Construction Investment Co holding the remaining 10%.


http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/N...llation-under-way-at-Hongyanhe-5-2003184.html

 

[JSCh]

First Hualong One reactor unit gets its dome
By Fang Tian (People's Daily Online) 14:31, January 12, 2018



The world’s first Hualong One nuclear reactor has been completed in south China’s Fujian province after the installation of its dome-shaped containment structure, chinanews.com reported on Thursday.

The 70.48-meter pilot nuclear reactor, codenamed “No. 5 Reactor Unit,” in the nuclear power plant in Fuqing, Fujian, uses Hualong One technology, a domestically developed third-generation reactor design.

It took 17 hours to finish the containment structure, which consists of a main body and a dome. Sealing the dome marked important progress, a person in charge of the construction said.

Fuqing has plans to build six pressurized water reactor units with megawatt capacity. Units 1-4, using second-generation technology, have been finished and started commercial operations. Construction on Units 5-6, which use the self-developed third-generation Hualong One design, started in 2015.

China has the largest proportion of nuclear power units under construction, and the country is expected to be the world’s second most number of nuclear units in 2020, according to its national plan.

This morning, the second Hualong One reactor unit at Fuqing no. 6 get its dome. From CNNC weibo.

 

[JSCh]

China launches new uranium enrichment centrifuges
21 March 2018

China has completed a "large-scale demonstration project for a new generation of uranium enrichment centrifuges", China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced yesterday. The new centrifuges have now been put into production at the Hanzhun fuel facility in Shaanxi province.

Operators of the demonstration centrifuge project (Image: CNNC)​

The project was independently researched and developed by CNNC and has its own independent intellectual property rights, the company said.

"The completion of the demonstration project shows that China's uranium enrichment centrifuges have been upgraded and have large-scale commercial conditions, and the technological level and economic performance have been further improved to reach the international advanced level," CNNC said. "The development and industrialisation of a new generation of uranium enrichment centrifuges will further increase China's position and competitiveness in the international uranium enrichment field."

An enrichment plant started at Lanzhou, Gansu province, in 1964 for military use and operated commercially between 1980 and 1997 using Soviet-era diffusion technology. A Russian centrifuge plant of 500,000 SWU per year started operation there in 2001.

An enrichment plant using Russian centrifuges was also set up at Hanzhun in Shaanxi province under agreements between Russia and China Nuclear Energy Industry Corporation (CNEIC). The first two modules at Hanzhun came into operation in 1997 and 2000, adding capacity for 500,000 SWU per year. Further capacity of 500,000 SWU per year at Hanzhun was commissioned in mid-2011.

An expansion project at Hanzhun was constructed over 2012-14, with 1.2 million SWU per year capacity using indigenous technology. The first domestically-produced centrifuge was successfully installed at the plant in February 2013.


http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/UF-China-launches-new-uranium-enrichment-centrifuges-2103185.html

 

[JSCh]

19 MAR, 2018
Full-scale prototype passes key test in China
ITER China

A full-scale prototype of a blanket shield block manufactured in China successfully passed acceptance tests, including the challenging hot helium leak testing in February. An important qualification milestone has been achieved in the ITER blanket program ...

The 2.8-tonne prototype was hot helium leak tested in a facility capable of detecting the tiniest microleaks. The test results, which showed that the maximum helium leakage rate was well within ITER requirements, have provided valuable reference data for the further investigation of the acceptance criteria for ITER blanket components.

On 14 February, two days before the start of the Chinese New Year, the Chinese Domestic Agency successfully accomplished the last in a series of back-to-back qualification milestones in its program to procure 50 percent of the blanket shield blocks required by ITER.

The ITER blanket consists of 440 individual modules covering a surface of 600 m² inside of the vacuum vessel. The plasma-facing surface of the blanket—the first wall—is attached to massive components called shield blocks that provide neutron shielding for the vessel and magnet coil systems. These thick steel blocks, weighing up to four tonnes apiece, interface with many other systems, in particular a large number of diagnostics. For this reason there are a total of 28 major design variants and 150 or more minor design variants. The Chinese and Korean Domestic Agencies are each providing 220 shield blocks.

In December 2017, Chinese suppliers in Guangzhou completed an 18-month program to manufacture a full-scale prototype of shield block SB09A. The next month, a dedicated facility for hot helium leak testing was commissioned in Chengdu—just in time to begin test activities on the SB09A prototype. From 6 to 14 February, hot helium leak tests were carried out according to ITER Organization accepted procedures, and witnessed by ITER Organization representatives. The results met all relevant ITER requirements.

The shield block module SB09A, located in the upper region inside the vacuum vessel, represents probably the most complex type of shield block structure—making it the most challenging to manufacture of all shield blocks to be procured by China. It has the most complex geometry, with several cut-outs to accommodate interfacing systems and diagnostics, and is largely tapered. For this reason it was selected as a full-scale prototype to qualify the manufacturing technologies that will be used in series production.

From 6 to 14 February, hot helium leak tests were carried out according to ITER Organization procedures, and witnessed by ITER Organization representatives. The hot helium leak test represents the definitive demonstration of the fitness for purpose of the component to operate in an ultra-high vacuum environment.

Chinese manufacturers started on the full-scale prototype in July 2016, progressively accomplishing all of the fabrication steps including machining datum, drilling the deep holes of the cooling channel, side machining, welding of cover plates, and final machining. From nine tonnes of original stainless steel forgings, the final full-scale prototype after machining was 2.8 tonnes. Many tests were performed throughout the fabrication process to verify quality—such as preliminary dimensional examination, non-destructive examination, and hydraulic pressure tests, which all showed acceptable manufacturing results.

The shield blocks, like all the in-vessel components, have to operate under ultra-high vacuum conditions (ten billion times lower than atmospheric pressure). Therefore stringent design, manufacturing and testing provisions have to be planned in order to ensure that the demanding vacuum requirements are met. In this regard, the so-called hot helium leak test represents the definitive demonstration of the fitness for purpose of the component to operate in an ultra-high vacuum environment. This test foresees the cycling of the components up to the operational temperature and pressure in order to be able to detect the tiniest microleaks, which would not be detectable by other means.

During commissioning tests at the dedicated hot helium leak test facility in Chengdu, operators verified that the sensitivity of the helium detector and the background helium leak rate could reach ITER requirements; in both cases the facility performed well.

During two full cycles of testing on the full-scale prototype, results showed that the maximum helium leakage rate was well within ITER requirements. As the first hot helium leak test on a large ITER blanket component, the results provide valuable reference data for the further investigation of the acceptance criteria of ITER blanket components. They also provide an important benchmark for developing hot helium leak test standards for the large vacuum components of future tokamaks.

See the gallery of photos below.


Full-scale prototype passes key test in China | ITER

 

[JSCh]

15th China Intl Nuclear Industry Exhibition opens in Beijing
By Zhao Lei | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2018-03-28 21:17

The 15th China International Nuclear Industry Exhibition opened at the National Convention Center in Beijing on Wednesday.

Held by the Chinese Nuclear Society and China Nuclear Energy Industry Corp, the biennial exhibition will last four days and features the theme of innovation and cooperation. More than 200 institutes and companies from about 50 nations and regions are taking part in this exhibition.

China's achievements in the nuclear power industry over the past five years include the Hualong One third-generation reactor and Linglong One small reactor, as well as the high-temperature, gas-cooled reactor, which are on display at the event. All of the country's nuclear power giants are participating.

Wang Shoujun, chairman of China National Nuclear Corp, addressed the opening ceremony, saying that the country has become a strong player in the nuclear power sector and his company is willing to take part in more cooperation in this regard.

By February, China had 38 nuclear power reactors in operation and 19 under construction, Wang said.

https://twitter.com/x/status/979194003668140032

 

[JSCh]

Reactor internals en route to demo Hualong One unit
11 April 2018

The reactor internals for the demonstration Hualong One being constructed as unit 5 of the Fuqing nuclear power plant in China's Fujian province have been shipped from the manufacturing plant in Shanghai. The unit is scheduled to be completed next year.

The reactor internals for Fuqing 5 leave the factory (Image: CNNC)
​

The reactor internals were designed by China Nuclear Power Research and Design Institute and manufactured by the Shanghai No.1 Machine Tool Plant. China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced today that the components left the manufacturing plant yesterday for the construction site.

Reactor internals are the major structures within a reactor vessel that have one or more functions such as supporting the core, maintaining fuel alignment, directing primary coolant flow, providing radiation shields for the reactor vessel, and guiding in-core instrumentation.

CNNC noted that the reactor internals "are components in the nuclear island main equipment that are difficult to manufacture, require long processing cycles, and require high assembly precision".

The control rod drive mechanism for use at Fuqing 5 passed factory acceptance tests on 15 March. The ML-B type drive mechanism was independently developed by CNNC China Nuclear Power Research and Design Institute and fully domestically manufactured by Shanghai No.1 Machine Tool Plant, CNNC said.

Fuqing 5's reactor pressure vessel was installed on 28 January. The vessel completed hydraulic pressure tests in April last year. Those tests confirmed the integrity of the vessel's welds and seals.

In November 2014, CNNC announced that the fifth and sixth units at Fuqing will use the domestically-developed Hualong One PWR 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 April 2015.

The pouring of first concrete for Fuqing 5 began in May that year, marking the official start of construction of the unit. Construction of unit 6 began in December the same year. The dome of unit 5 was installed on the containment building in May last year. Fuqing 5 and 6 are scheduled to be completed in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News


http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/N...n-route-to-demo-Hualong-One-unit-1104185.html

 

[JSCh]

Fuel loading under way at Chinese EPR
11 April 2018

China General Nuclear (CGN) has begun loading fuel into the core of unit 1 of the Taishan nuclear power plant in China's Guangdong province following the issuance of a permit from the regulator. The unit is later this year scheduled to become the first EPR reactor to enter operation.

Fuel loading operations begin at Taishan 1 (Image: CGN)​

CGN said the Taishan Nuclear Power Joint Venture Company - a joint venture between CGN (70%) and EDF (30%) that owns the plant - was issued with the permit yesterday afternoon in Beijing by Liu Hua, vice minister of ecology and environmental affairs and director of the National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA).

In a statement the NNSA said that, before the first loading of materials, it had conducted a five-year safety review of the Taishan nuclear power project and dispatched on-site supervisors for the entire construction process. The project meets the design safety goals and the construction quality is good, it added.

Operations to load the first fuel assembly into the core of Taishan 1 began at 8.18pm, CGN said.

Taishan 1 and 2 are the first two reactors based on the EPR design to be built in China. They form part of an EUR8.0 billion (USD9.9 billion) contract signed by Areva and CGN in November 2007. Construction of unit 1 and 2 began in 2009 and 2010, respectively.

Taishan 1 is expected to start up later this year, while Taishan 2 - which is in the equipment installation phase - is scheduled to begin operating next year.

The first-of-a-kind EPR at Finland's Olkiluoto plant has been under construction since 2005 and has seen several revisions to its start-up date, with grid connection now scheduled to take place in December and the start of regular electricity production in May next year. Fuel loading at the Flamanville EPR in France, construction of which began in 2007, is expected to begin the fourth quarter of this year. Two further EPRs are planned at Hinkley Point in the UK.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News



http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Fuel-loading-under-way-at-Chinese-EPR-1104184.html