A ceremony was held on 31 July to launch the operation of the control room, which China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said “marked a new stage in the commissioning and operation of unit 4”.
In his speech, Shuai Yuezhi, chairman of Huaneng Hainan Changjiang Nuclear Power Company Ltd, said the full commencement of operation and duty shifts in the main control room of unit 4 is another important milestone in the company’s project construction, which is inseparable from the concerted efforts of the general contractor, participating units, and various departments of the company.
Two Hualong One reactors are being constructed in the second phase of the Changjiang plant. First concrete was poured for the base slab of unit 3’s nuclear island in March 2021, with that of unit 4 being poured in the December of that year. Changjiang Phase II – units 3 and 4 – represents a total estimated investment of CNY40 billion (USD5.9 billion), according to China Huaneng, which holds a 51% share in the project. Changjiang unit 3 achieved first criticality – a sustained chain reaction – on 10 July and was connected to the grid on 1 August. Both units are scheduled to be fully operational in early 2027.
Changjiang units 3 and 4 (Image: CNNC)
The Changjiang nuclear site is already home to two operating CNP-600 pressurised water reactors (PWRs) – Changjiang 1 and 2 – which entered commercial operation in 2015 and 2016, respectively. In 2021, CNNC also began construction of a demonstration ACP100 small modular reactor at the site. The multi-purpose 125 MWe PWR – also referred to as the Linglong One – is designed for electricity production, heating, steam production or seawater desalination. It is currently undergoing pre-commissioning tests.
The island province of Hainan is China’s southernmost point. Energy policies published in 2019 by Hainan Province Development and Reform Commission specify that nuclear power will become the primary source of electricity for the island, which has a population of close to 10 million.
