Zhangzhou unit 1 enters commercial operation

Thursday, 2 January 2025

At 00:17 on 1 January, the 1126 MWe (net) domestically-designed pressurised water reactor completed a series of commissioning tests, including a test run lasting 168 hours, CNNC said.

In May 2014, the local government gave approval for Phase I of the Zhangzhou plant, comprising two AP1000 units. The National Nuclear Safety Administration gave approval in December 2015 for the AP1000 units and confirmed site selection in October 2016. Construction of Phase I had originally been expected to start in May 2017. However, CNNC subsequently decided to use the HPR1000 design instead. Two more Hualong One units are planned for Phase II of the plant and a further two proposed for Phase III.

Construction of Zhangzhou 1 began in October 2019, with that of unit 2 starting in September 2020.

In September 2022, China’s State Council approved the construction of two further Hualong One units as Phase II of the Zhangzhou plant. First concrete for the nuclear island of unit 3 was poured on 22 February last year, with that for unit 4 following in October.

_{Workers in the control room of unit 1 (Image: CNNC)}

The process of loading 177 fuel assemblies into the core of Zhangzhou 1 began on 12 October following the issuance of an operating licence by China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment. The reactor achieved first criticality on 20 November and was connected to the grid on 28 November.

CNNC said the start of commercial operation of Zhangzhou 1 “marks a major progress in the mass construction of Hualong One”. It plans to construct a total of six Hualong One units at the site. Currently, three further such units are under construction there.

The Zhangzhou project – with a total investment of over CNY100 billion (USD14 billion) – is owned by CNNC-Guodian Zhangzhou Energy Company, a joint venture between CNNC (51%) and China Guodian Corporation (49%).

CNNC noted that the number of power reactors now in operation under its control has increased to 26, and the installed capacity has increased from 23.75 GWe to 24.962 GWe.