Russian-designed VVER-1200 could begin operation next year
Cold hydraulic testing has been completed for Unit 7 of the Tianwan nuclear power station under construction in Jiangsu province, eastern China.
Project developer China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said in a statement that the move has marked the project’s transitioning from the construction to the commissioning phase.
Cold testing verifies that welds, joints, pipes and components in the primary circuit are able to withstand pressures higher than those during normal operation.
Two Russian-designed VVER-1200 Generation III+ PWR units are being built at Tianwan, with construction starting on Unit 7 in May 2021 and Unit 8 in February 2022.
The Tianwan station already has six PWR units: Units 1-4 use Russia’s VVER-1000 design, while Units 5 and 6 are based on China’s own CNP-1000 design.
According to CNNC, Tianwan-7 and -8 are scheduled to become operation in 2026 and 2027 respectiveley.
Upon completion, the eight-unit station is expected to generate about 70 TWh of electricity annually, which is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of about 15 million households.
