Ningde 2 in commercial operation
08 May 2014
Unit 2 of the Ningde plant in China's Fujian province has become the 19th reactor to be in commercial operation in the country. Meanwhile, the third unit at the plant has now begun pre-operational tests.
.jpg "Ningde 2 commercial operation - May 2014 - 460 (CGN)") |
| Workers in the control room at Ningde 2 as it successfully completes a 168-hour test-run on 4 May (Image: CGN) |
The 1020 MWe CPR-1000 pressurized water reactor will be one of four at the site in north-east Fujian province. Construction started on units 1 and 2 in 2008 and they are both now producing power.
On 6 May, the final acceptance certificate for unit 1 was signed marking the successful conclusion of a one-year warranty period. On the same day, the provisional acceptance certificate for unit 2 was also signed, with management responsibilities for the unit being transferred from the supplier to the plant owner.
Cold testing of the nuclear island of unit 3 began on 4 May. That unit is scheduled to come online later this year. The start up of unit 4 is expected to follow in 2015.
Ningde nuclear power plant is built across three small islands near Fuqing City in the northeast of Fujian province. The plant is co-owned by China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN), with a 46% stake, China Datang Corp (44%) and Fujian Energy Group (10%).
Ningde is the first nuclear project of Datang, one of the five large generating companies formed from splitting up the State Power Corporation in 2002.
Yangjiang 2 approaches start up
Meanwhile, unit 2 of the Yangjiang plant in Guangdong province has been declared ready for hot tests. These tests will simulate the temperatures and pressures which the CPR-1000's systems will be subjected to during normal operation. This phase ensures coolant circuits and nuclear safety systems are functioning properly before fuel is loaded.
Yangjiang 1 - the first of six units under construction at the site - entered commercial operation in late March. Unit 2 is expected to start up later this year, with all six units in operation by 2018.
Researched and written
by World Nuclear News