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

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Rolls-Royce and CTEC to integrate I&C expertise
27 June 2018

Rolls-Royce and CTEC have signed an agreement to provide instrumentation and control (I&C) integrated solutions to the global nuclear market, the British engineering group announced yesterday. CTEC is a subsidiary of China General Power Corporation Limited that provides full-life-cycle and end-to-end digital I&C systems to nuclear power plants.

Jiang Guojin and Eric Blanc signed the agreement yesterday in Paris (Image: Rolls-Royce)

The agreement will enable the future involvement of CTEC in international projects, as well as the future involvement of Rolls-Royce in upcoming projects in China.

Eric Blanc, president I&C of Rolls-Royce Civil Nuclear said: "We highly value our strong relationship with our Chinese customers and partners, and this agreement underpins the full alignment of our shared objectives and agreed timelines, marking another significant step in driving our cooperation towards greater success in multiple key areas."

Jiang Guojin, CTEC general manager, added: "The agreement will see us further strengthening our already strong partnership and leveraging our combined capabilities and expertise to develop safe, reliable and competitive nuclear I&C solutions for China, and the world."

Under the agreement, Rolls-Royce and CTEC have also committed to release a new distributed control system platform made from a combination of their existing digital and analogue technologies - Spinline and Hardline for Rolls-Royce, FirmSys and FitRel for CTEC.

Rolls-Royce said this new integrated platform will provide both parties with "extended flexibility to better adapt to stringent customer needs and requirements".

Rolls-Royce announced in April it is to modernise control rod systems in 14 of CGN's CPR1000 nuclear power units in China under a contract signed with CGN subsidiary Suzhou Nuclear Power Research Institute.


http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/C-Rolls-Royce-and-CTEC-to-integrate-IC-expertise-27061802.html

 

[JSCh]

Taishan world's 1st successfully connected EPR nuclear reactor
By Zheng Xin | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2018-06-29 22:00

Photo taken on July 15, 2017 is the logo of CGN. [Photo/VCG]

The Taishan unit one reactor was connected to the grid on Friday at 17:59 Beijing time, the first EPR reactor in the world to be successfully connected to the grid, said China General Nuclear Power Group.

Taishan, the largest cooperative energy project between China and France, is operated by a joint venture established between China General Nuclear Power Group with a 51 percent stake, French energy company EDF with 30 percent and the provincial Chinese electricity company Yuedian with 19 percent.

The construction of Taishan unit one started in 2009, while that of Taishan unit two began in 2010. These two units were respectively the third and fourth reactors being built worldwide with EPR technology, or third-generation pressurized water reactor design.

The reactor will go through a period of gradual power-up tests after the unit's first connection to the grid. It will be tested in steady-state conditions at full power after the reactor has passed all the tests.

The Taishan project has the highest safety and quality standards, said CGN.

 

[JSCh]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1013178862048567298

Westinghouse Nuclear‏ @WECNuclear 6h6 hours ago
Westinghouse and its customers, China State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation & CNNC Sanmen Nuclear Power Company Limited, announced today that Sanmen 1, the world’s first AP1000 nuclear power plant, has begun initial connection to the electrical grid.

 

[JSCh]

3rd-generation nuclear reactors start test run
By Xu Hailin Source:Global Times Published: 2018/7/1 22:42:28

Two third-generation nuclear reactors began generating power last week in China, with experts saying it signals that China's nuclear power industry has overcome a number of technical difficulties.

The Taishan nuclear plant in South China's Guangdong Province using AP1000 technology and the Sanmen nuclear plant in East China's Zhejiang Province installed with evolutionary power reactors (EPR), are now conducting test runs and other experiments to confirm the reactors' safety before going fully online and adding power to the country's grid, the news website thepaper.cn reported on Saturday.

Although the two reactors had been hit by delays, China has learned lessons from the construction process and now has a reference to build additional nuclear power plants, which will accelerate the industry's development in the country, Lin Boqiang, director of the China Center for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

"As the most advanced reactors in the world, Taishan No.1 and Sanmen No.1 reactors are highly secure with optimized installation. Even hit by natural hazards such as an earthquake, they face a very small chance of being damaged," Lin said.

As of the first quarter in 2018, there were 38 nuclear power units in operation in the Chinese mainland with a combined installed capacity of 36.93 million kilowatts, according to data from the Chinese Nuclear Energy Association, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Nuclear plants can provide air pollution-free energy at a lower cost to consumers, Lin said, noting they meet China's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Although facing strong competition from other clean energy sources such as wind and solar power, nuclear energy could see cost advantages if future plants can be constructed at a lower cost, Lin added.

The security and safety of nuclear power has long been a concern for countries operating such plants especially after the 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, which forced 300,000 people to evacuate the region.

China ended its moratorium on the approval of nuclear power plants in June 2015, and approved the construction of eight nuclear power plants that year.

In 2016, no new plants were approved. In 2017 only one nuclear plant began construction at East China's Fujian Province, thepaper.cn reported.

Five reactors are expected to be completed this year, including those at Taishan and Sanmen, with a combined installed capacity of six million kilowatts. Six to eight new reactors are expected to be approved this year, according to thepaper.cn.

 

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China’s Sanmen 2 cleared for fuel loading
10 July 2018

Unit 2 of the Sanmen nuclear power plant in China has received regulatory approval for fuel loading, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced today. Unit 1 of the plant was connected to the grid on 30 June, becoming the world's first AP1000 to achieve grid connection and power generation.

Sanmen units 1 and 2 (Image: CNNC)​

CNNC said the approval for fuel loading of unit 2 had been received from the National Nuclear Safety Administration on 4 July. The regulator had supervised the nuclear safety of the construction process and pre-loading tests at the unit, the results of which indicated that the reactor was ready for fuel loading, CNNC said.

The notice, published on the website of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, states that CNNC must "strictly abide" by the requirements of technical specifications and quality management to ensure nuclear safety during fuel loading and operation of the unit after loading.

Conditions laid out in the report include a regular safety review to be conducted every ten years. It also says that the Final Safety Analysis Report and Emergency Plan for the unit should be "reviewed regularly" to reflect the latest technical and operational management requirements and be reported to the National Nuclear Safety Administration for approval.

Following fuel loading, the pre-commissioning stages will include, it says: first criticality; 5% rated power; 50% rated power; and 90% of rated power. On completion of these stages, the operator will then seek approval for commissioning the unit.

Hot tests at Sanmen 2 were completed in January and it is expected to begin operating by the end of this year.



http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Chinas-Sanmen-2-cleared-for-fuel-loading-10071802.html

 

[JSCh]

Yangjiang 5 enters commercial operation
13 July 2018

Unit 5 of the Yangjiang nuclear power plant in China's Guangdong province has completed commissioning tests and now meets the conditions for entering commercial operation, China General Nuclear (CGN) announced yesterday. The unit is the first ACPR1000 reactor to be built and the first Chinese unit to feature a domestically-developed digital control system.

The control room of Yangjiang unit 5 (Image: YJNPC)

The 1000 MWe CGN-designed pressurised water reactor achieved first criticality on 16 May and was connected to the grid on 23 May.

Since then, a series of commissioning tests have been conducted at the unit, including a load test run and a demonstration run lasting 168 hours. Although CGN must still obtain necessary permits and documentation, the unit can now be considered to be in commercial operation. Yangjiang 5 becomes the company's 21st power reactor in commercial operation, with a combined capacity of 22.778 GWe.

Six units are planned for the Yangjiang site. The first four units are CPR-1000s, with units 5 and 6 being ACPR-1000s. Unit 1 entered commercial operation in March 2015, with units 2, 3 and 4 following in June 2015, January 2016 and March 2017, respectively. First concrete for Yangjiang 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.

According to CGN, once all six units are completed at Yangjiang, the plant will generate some 48 billion kWh of electricity annually. Compared with the equivalent generation using fossil fuels, the plant will reducing the consumption of standard coal by 14.83 million tonnes and carbon dioxide emissions by 38.78 million tonnes.

The plant is owned and operated by Yangjiang Nuclear Power Company Limited (YJNPC), which is 29% owned by CGN Power, 30% by CGN Power subsidiary GNIC, 7% by CGN Power associate company CGN Industry Investment Fund Phase I, 17% by Guangdong Yudean Group and 17% by Hong Kong-based power company CLP Holdings Limited.


http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Yangjiang-5-enters-commercial-operation-1307184.html

Photo taken on June 29, 2018 shows the exterior of the fifth unit of the Yangjiang nuclear power plant in Yangjiang, south China's Guangdong Province. The fifth unit of the Yangjiang nuclear power plant is ready for commercial operation, said China General Nuclear Power Corp. (CGN), the owner of the plant, on Friday. (Xinhua)

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[JSCh]

China's HT-6M tokamak Kicks off New Mission in Thailand, Pushing China-Thai Cooperation on Fusion Research
Jul 23, 2018

China's HT-6M tokamak, developed by Institute of Plasma Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science(or ASIPP) kicks off its new mission in Thailand, according to ASIPP's donation agreement with Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology (or TINT), which is expected to boost China-Thai cooperation on fusion development.

The handed-over ceremony of the donated facility was held on "Science Island", where ASIPP is located, during Thailand's Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn's visit to Hefei on 15th July.

Last year, TINT and ASIPP signed cooperation agreement that ASIPP would donate its HT-6M tokamak to TINT as well as help Thai with the facility in terms of its installation, operation, and related technologies and talent cultivation.

And based on the increasingly deepening exchanges between the two sides, ASIPP would support Thai's establishment of its plasma physics and fusion research center.

HT-6M tokamak is one of four fusion devices developed by ASIPP, it has been operated for 18 years from 1984 to 2002 and has made great contribution to China's fusion development.

Answering the call of China's the Belt and Road initiative and Thai's National 4.0 Strategy, Chinese Academy of Sciences Innovation Cooperation Center in Bangkok, or CAS-ICC Bangkok was set up in Bangkok late year to promote sci-tech cooperation and scientific achievements commercialization.

 

[JSCh]

Contract for recycled fuel for Chinese Candus
08 August 2018

Canada's SNC-Lavalin is to supply its 37M Natural Uranium Equivalent (NUE) fuel to units 1 and 2 of the Qinshan Phase III nuclear power plant in China's Zhejiang province. The engineering service contract and a licensing agreement mark the first commercial use of the fuel - a mixture of depleted and recycled uranium - outside Canada.

The two Candu 6 reactors that make up Qinshan Phase III (Image: SNC-Lavalin)​

SNC-Lavalin said its work under the contract - signed with China National Nuclear Corporation subsidiary Third Qinshan Nuclear Power Company (TQNPC) - includes design definition, design verification, update of reactor nuclear design and safety case, regulatory support and licensing.

Candu pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) are usually fuelled with natural uranium. Since 2008, Canada and China have proven, through an in-core irradiation demonstration in the Qinshan Phase III Candu 6 reactors, that NUE fuel can be used successfully as a natural uranium substitute. The first commercial demonstration of the use of fuel containing recovered uranium from used pressurised water reactor (PWR) fuel was in Qinshan Phase III unit 1. In March 2010, 12 NUE fuel bundles were inserted into the reactor, followed by a further 24 such fuel bundles. The trial use of the fuel ran for one year.

In August 2012, SNC-Lavalin subsidiary Candu Energy, the TQNPC, China North Nuclear Fuel Corporation and the Nuclear Power Institute of China agreed to expand their joint project to demonstrate the use of NUE fuel at the Qinshan plant.

SNC-Lavalin says that only a few changes are required to current operating Candu reactor designs, safety parameters and licensing case to use NUE as a substitute for natural uranium.

Sandy Taylor, the company's president for nuclear, said: "The landmark agreement between SNC-Lavalin and TQNPC will see the 37M fuel technology put into commercial use outside of Canada for the first time and takes advantage of the ample supply of depleted and recycled uranium in China."

He added, "A step closer to closing the fuel cycle, 37M technology enables better use of alternative fuels in existing Candu reactors. The two Qinshan Candu reactors are already two of the best performing reactors in China and adding 37M NUE fuel further improves their ability to continue to deliver that high performance."

Researched and written by World Nuclear News


http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Contract-for-recycled-fuel-for-Chinese-Candus

 

[JSCh]

Today, Haiyang Nuclear Power Unit No. 1 received approval for fuel loading. The second AP1000 to do so after Sanmen-1.

海阳核电1号机组首次达到临界、2号机组开始装料
国家核电技术公司 Yesterday

▲海阳核电厂（来源：山东核电）
8月8日
上午10时42分
AP1000三代核电自主化依托项目海阳核电1号机组首次达到临界，机组正处于低功率状态稳定运行。后续，在完成一系列低功率物理试验后，机组将进行首次汽轮机带核冲转与并网工作。

下午3时26分
经国家核安全局和生态环境部华东核与辐射安全监督站批准，海阳核电2号机组首次装料正式开始。至此，海阳核电一期工程两台机组全部进入带核运行阶段。

Haiyang Nuclear Power Unit 1 reached first criticality, and Unit 2 started fuel loading
National Nuclear Power Technology Corporation, Yesterday

On August 8

At 8:42 am
The AP1000 third-generation nuclear power Haiyang Nuclear Power Unit 1 reached its criticality for the first time, and the unit is operating in a low-power state. Subsequently, after completing a series of low-power physical tests, the unit will carry out its first nuclear driven steam turbine run and grid-connected work.

At 3:26 pm
Approved by the National Nuclear Safety Administration and the East China Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision Station of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the first loading of Haiyang Nuclear Power Unit 2 officially began. At this point, the two units of the first phase of Haiyang Nuclear Power Project all entered the nuclear operation phase.

 

[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

Fuqing 5 enters system commissioning phase
09 August 2018

Installation of the control room has been completed at the demonstration Hualong One being constructed as unit 5 of the Fuqing nuclear power plant in China's Fujian province.

The completed control room of Fuqing 5 (Image: CNI23)​

The final display panel of the control room was installed on the morning of 4 August, China Nuclear Industry 23 Construction Company announced on 7 August. The company said this was six days ahead of schedule and marks the reactor's transition from the installation phase to the system commissioning phase.

In November 2014, China National Nuclear Corporation announced that the fifth and sixth units at Fuqing will use the domestically-developed Hualong One pressurised water 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 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 and the reactor pressure vessel was installed in January this year.

Fuqing 5 and 6 are scheduled to be completed in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Construction of two Hualong One (HPR1000) units is also under way at China General Nuclear's Fangchenggang plant in the Guangxi Autonomous Region. Those units are also expected to start up in 2019 and 2020. Two HPR1000 units are under construction at Pakistan's Karachi nuclear power plant. Construction began on Karachi unit 2 in 2015 and unit 3 in 2016; the units are planned to enter commercial operation in 2021 and 2022. The HPR1000 has also been proposed for construction at Bradwell in the UK, where it is undergoing Generic Design Assessment.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News


http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Fuqing-5-enters-system-commissioning-phase

 

[JSCh]

From weibo,

中国核电_CNNP
27分钟前 来自 小米Max2 大屏大电量
8月14日下午2点10分，AP1000全球首堆——三门核电1号机组首次达到100%满功率运行。

China National Nuclear Power_CNNP
27 minutes ago from Xiaomi Max2
At 2:10 pm on August 14, the world's first AP1000 reactor, the Sanmen nuclear power unit 1, reached 100% full power for the first time.

 

[JSCh]

Chinese research reactor sets operational record
14 August 2018

The China Advanced Research Reactor (CARR) has been operated continuously at high-power for 14 days, setting a new operational record for the 60 MWt light-water tank-in-pool type unit. During this period, the research reactor completed its first batch of irradiation tasks.

The China Advanced Research Reactor (Image: CIAE)​

The CARR reactor was operated stably at a power level of 30 MW between 25 July and 7 August, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced yesterday.

The reactor - at the China Institute of Atomic Energy's (CIAE's) site in the Fangshan district of Beijing - is a sophisticated light-water tank type unit with a heavy water reflector. CIAE - a unit of CNNC - describes CARR as one of the most advanced of its type, both in Asia and throughout the world. In the course of designing and constructing the reactor, CIAE has been involved in developing, amongst other things, fuel elements, reactor components such as the reactor vessel, control rod drive mechanisms, digital control systems and other applications. The project boasts an equipment localisation rate of 90%.

The CARR project was formally approved by the government in July 1997. Construction of the reactor began in August 2002. CARR achieved first criticality on 13 May 2010 and reached full power for 72 hours on 13 March 2012.

According to the website of the Chinese Neutron Scattering Society, CARR is waiting for official permission to start regular operation. The reactor is expected to be operated for 12 cycles per year, each cycle lasting 10-20 days.

The multifunctional reactor will be used for research in fields such as nuclear physics and chemistry, neutron scattering experiments, testing of reactor materials and nuclear fuels, neutron activation analysis, and for the production of radioactive isotopes and neutron-doped silicon.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News



http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Chinese-research-reactor-sets-operational-record

 

[JSCh]

CNEA中国核能
今天 15:49 来自 微博 weibo.com
8月17日9时50分，海阳核电1号机组首次并网成功，各项技术指标均符合设计要求、机组状态良好。

China Nuclear Energy Association
Today 15:49 from weibo.com
At 9:50 on August 17, Haiyang Nuclear Power Unit No. 1 was successfully connected to the grid for the first time. All technical indicators met the design requirements and the unit status was good.

CNEA中国核能
今天 15:49 来自 微博 weibo.com
2018年8月17日12时07分，三门核电2号机组首次达到临界状态，标志着该机组正式进入带功率运行状态，向后续并网发电和商业运行迈出了新的一步。

China Nuclear Energy Association
Today 15:49 from weibo.com
At 12:07 on August 17, 2018, Unit 2 of Sanmen Nuclear Power Station reached critical state for the first time, marking the official entry of the unit into power operation, which took a new step toward subsequent grid-connected power generation and commercial operation.

 

[JSCh]

First steam generator for Karachi 3
21 August 2018

The first steam generator has been hoisted into place at Pakistan's Karachi unit 3, using an improved version of the "pre-introduction" method, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has announced.

Karachi 3's first steam generator is hoisted into place (Image: CNNC)​

CNNC said its new method using an E-frame to "flip" the component can improve efficiency and safety, as well as reducing labour intensity and reducing the chance of human error, compared with the traditional "fixed bracket" installation. The technique further improves the safety and economy of the "pre-introduction" construction method - where the main reactor equipment is installed before the dome of the containment building - which CNNC first used in a reactor of this type at Karachi 2.

The process of preparing, orientating, lifting and hoisting Karachi 3's steam generator into the nuclear island reactor building took just over five hours to complete.

Karachi 2 and 3 are the first export of China's Hualong One pressurised water reactor design, with construction of unit 2 beginning in 2015 and unit 3 in 2016. The units are scheduled for commercial operation in 2021 and 2022, respectively, when they will add a further 2322 MWe to Pakistan's existing nuclear generation capacity of 1355 MWe from five operating units: a small pressurised heavy water reactor at Karachi, and four Chinese-designed pressurised water reactors at Chashma. A third 1161 MWe Hualong One unit is planned for construction at Chashma.

Four Hualong One units - also known as HPR1000 - are under construction in China. Fanchenggang 3 and 4 and Fuqing 5 and 6 are all expected to enter commercial operation in 2019-2020.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/First-steam-generator-for-Karachi-3

 

[JSCh]

中国核电_CNNP
8月24日 18:30 来自 小米Max2 大屏大电量
8月24日17时22分，三门核电2号机组首次并网成功。

China National Nuclear Power_CNNP
August 24th 18:30 from Xiaomi Max2
At 17:22 on August 24, the Sanmen nuclear power unit No. 2 was successfully connected to the grid for the first time.