8 Jun (NucNet): First criticality has been achieved at Taishan-1, China’s first Generation III EPR unit which is under construction in the southeastern province of Guangdong, EDF’s head of new nuclear and engineering Xavier Ursat said on his official Twitter account.
Developers EDF and CGN (China General Nuclear Power) have not issued statements confirming the news, but EDF published Mr Ursat’s tweet on its official Twitter profile.
In April 2018, CGN said it had started loading fuel into the core of the Taishan-1 reactor unit.
Construction of Taishan-1, a 1,660-MW EPR began in November 2009. Commercial operation is scheduled to start by the end of 2018.
Taishan-2, the second EPR under construction at the site, is expected to begin operation in 2019.
