According to the CNEA, grid connection took place at 20:27 local time, marking the start of the grid-connected commissioning phase for the 1,000-MW plant.
Tianwan-6 is a domestically developed CNP1000 design. It is seen as a Generation II+ design and a precursor to Generation III designs.
Construction of the plant began in September 2016 and fuel loading took place in April. Commercial operation is scheduled for this year, which would make it the country’s 51st commercial nuclear reactor in operation. Nuclear provides about 5% of the country’s electricity generation.
Tianwan-5, another unit of the same design, began commercial operation on 8 September 2020. There are also four Russia-supplied VVER-1000 nuclear units in commercial operation at the Tianwan site.
The Tianwan plant is owned and operated by Jiangsu Nuclear Power Corporation, a joint venture between China national Nuclear Corporation (50%), China Power Investment Corporation (30%) and Jiangsu Guoxin Group (20%).
In Beijing’s latest five-year plan – which set out China’s economic and development goals for the five years from 2021 – the government said it aims to have 70 GW of installed nuclear capacity by 2025 from about 50 GW at the end of 2019. That would equate to about 20 new reactors, 2021-2025, although China already has 14 under construction.
