Fangchenggang nuclear power plant's fourth unit completes commissioning tests

The second Hualong One reactor (Fangchenggang 4) began commercial operation in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. China General Nuclear (CGN) announced this on Sunday. It is the sixth Hualong One reactor to enter operation.

The pressurised water reactor, with an installed capacity of 1 180 MWe, successfully completed its 168-hour trial operation at 8:00 a.m. on 25 May, officially meeting the requirements for commercial operation.

Construction history and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic

The first concrete pour for Fangchenggang unit 3, which is 39% owned by Guangxi Investment Group and 61% by CGN, took place in December 2015. Concrete pouring for the construction of unit 4 began a year later. According to the original plans, unit 3 was to enter operation in 2019 and unit 4 in 2020. The commissioning of both units was subsequently rescheduled for 2022.

In January 2022, however, CGN announced that the start-up of Fangchenggang reactors 3 and 4 was being delayed again. The delays were caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Unit 3 therefore reached criticality—a sustained chain reaction—only on 27 December 2022 and was connected to the grid on 10 January 2023. Commercial operation began on 25 March last year.

China's National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) granted CGN an operating licence for Fangchenggang 4 on 27 February this year. The licence allows the operator to load nuclear fuel into the reactor core. Fuel loading was completed on 2 March, and the reactor reached criticality the following day. It was connected to the grid six days later, on 9 April 2024.

Plans for mass production of Hualong One

CGN said that the start-up of unit 4 marks the full completion of CGN's Hualong One demonstration project in China.

"The connection of Fangchenggang unit 4 to the grid further verified the safety, maturity and advanced nature of Hualong One technology, and provided valuable experience that can serve as a reference and be replicated for the mass construction of Hualong One units," said Cai Zhen, chairman of Guangxi Fangchenggang Nuclear Power Company.

Fangchenggang power plant is planned to have a total of six reactors in the future. The first phase of the plant's construction included two CPR-1000 units, which entered commercial operation in 2016. Units 5 and 6 will likely use the Hualong One reactor design.

CGN noted that with Fangchenggang 4 entering commercial operation, the number of nuclear reactors it operates increased to 28, while the installed capacity of its operating nuclear power plants rose from 30 568 MW to 31 756 MW.

Four Hualong One units are currently operating in China. The two other operating units are located in Pakistan as part of the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant.