Unit 5 of China’s Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant, developed by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), was successfully connected to the grid for the first time on Nov 27. The plant is located on the coast of Xinghua Bay, near Qianxue Village, Sanshan Town. The plant became operational in October 2015.
Unit 5 is the world’s first pilot project to use China’s indigenous third-generation nuclear power technology Hualong One, also known as HPR1000.
It was confirmed on site that all technical indicators of the unit met the design requirements and that the unit was in good condition. This laid a solid foundation for the subsequent commercial operation of the unit and for the top performance in the world’s first third-generation nuclear power reactor.
Hualong One is an innovative third-generation pressurized water reactor with completely independent intellectual property rights, developed and designed by CNNC on the basis of more than 30 years of nuclear power research, design, manufacturing, construction and operation experience.
Hualong One, with a design life of 60 years, innovatively uses 177 fuel assemblies as reactor cores, which reduces its core power density and improves its design safety level.
At present, CNNC has six nuclear power units under construction at home and abroad using Hualong One technology, and the safety and quality of the construction projects are all under tight control.
(Source and image CNNC – Construction works at the Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant units 5 and 6)