UK Regulator Moves To Second Stage Of Hualong One GDA

17 Nov (NucNet): The UK’s nuclear regulator is beginning the second stage of the generic design assessment (GDA) for the UK version of China’s Generation III HPR1000 nuclear plant, known as the Hualong One, which China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) wants to build at Bradwell B in Essex. The office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) said on 16 November 2017 that CGN will also begin a comments process. Stage one of the process was the preparatory phase, the ONR said. Mike Finnerty, the ONR’s deputy chief inspector and director of the ONR’s new reactors division, said the purpose of GDA is to determine whether the design meets the robust safety and security standards to make it suitable for use in the UK. He said: “I am satisfied that there are adequate project management and technical provisions in place to enter step two of the process and, as regulators, we can begin our technical assessment phase.” CGN, which holds a one-third stake in the French-led Hinkley Point C EPR nuclear project, said recently it is confident that the HPR1000 will be approved by UK authorities for construction at Bradwell. The company hopes the GDA will be completed in less than five years. The costs of the GDA, which have not been disclosed, will be footed by French nuclear operator EDF and CGN, which have formed a joint venture called General Nuclear Systems Limited to develop the Bradwell plans. They are also behind plans for Hinkley Point C in Somerset and Sizewell C in Suffolk. EDF said the reference plant for Bradwell B is CGN’s Fangchenggang Plant Unit 3 in China which is under construction and on schedule.