Two units under construction at site in east of country
The reactor pressure vessel (RPV) has been installed at the nuclear island of the Haiyang-4 nuclear power plant in Shandong province, eastern China, the State Power Investment Corporation (Spic) said.
Haiyang-4 is a 1,161-MW CAP1000 pressurised water reactor, China’s Generation III indigenous version of US-based Westinghouse’s AP1000 design.
The RPV is one of the largest components in a nuclear reactor system and its installation is considered a project milestone. It contains the nuclear reactor coolant, core shroud, and the nuclear fuel assemblies.
Spic said the CAP1000 RPV weighs about 280 tonnes and has a diameter of 6.4 metres and a height of 10.3 metres.
Construction of Haiyang-4 began in April 2023. A twin unit, Haiyang-3, has been under construction the site since July 2022.
The Haiyang nuclear power station also has two AP1000 PWR units that have been in commercial operation since 2018 and 2019.
China currently has four CAP1000 plants under construction including Haiyang-3 and -4 and two more units at the Sanmen nuclear power station in Zhejiang province, eastern China.
