Unit 1 of the Fuqing nuclear power plant in China’s Fujian province has entered commercial operation having successfully completed commissioning tests. It becomes China’s 22nd operating nuclear power reactor.
Plant constructor China Nuclear Engineering Corporation announced on 19 November that the 1080 MWe CPR-1000 reactor had completed a performance test while operating for 100 hours at full capacity. It said that this marked the official transition from commissioning to commercial operation.
Construction of the Chinese-developed CPR-1000 began in November 2008. The reactor achieved first criticality on 24 July 2014 and was connected to the grid on 20 August.
The Fuqing plant will eventually house six Chinese-designed pressurized water reactors. The first four units of the plant are CPR-1000 reactors. Unit 2, construction of which began in June 2009, is expected to start operating in August 2015. First concrete was poured for units 3 and 4 in 2010 and 2012, respectively. Those reactors should begin operation in February 2016 and March 2017.
