Two indigenous Hualong One plants under construction at site
Welding has been completed of the main circulation pipeline for the Unit 4 of the Changjiang nuclear power station under construction in Hainan province, southern China.
The China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA) said workers at the plant are now ready to proceed with primary circuit cold function testing.
Changjiang-4 is a domestic Hualong One, or HPR1000, pressurised water reactor (PWR) unit with a gross design capacity of 1,200 MW. Construction began in December 2021.
The main circulation pipeline at a nuclear power plant carries coolant – usually water – through the reactor core to absorb heat generated by nuclear fission. It connects the reactor pressure vessel with the steam generators and the reactor coolant pumps and is an integral part of a pressurised water reactor system.
China is moving forward with its indigenous Hualong One reactor technology, with 18 units either operational or under construction, according to data by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Two CNP-600 pressurised water reactors have been in commercial operation at the Changjiang site since 2015 and 2016.
A fourth unit at the site, Changjiang-3, also a Hualong One, has been under construction since March 2021.
