China's Third Generation Nuclear Power Plant Grasps Many Key Technologies

With the first batch of third-generation nuclear power AP1000 technology projects entering the installation phase of the main equipment, the world’s most advanced third-generation nuclear power technology is being transformed from drawings into reality in the hands of Chinese engineering personnel.

In March last year, the Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant in Zhejiang was just started. In just over a year, the plant of the nuclear power plant has begun to take shape, and the speed of construction has benefited from innovative construction methods. This way of construction is just like building blocks, which can greatly shorten the construction period of nuclear power plants. This is also one of the advantages of the third-generation nuclear power technology. Its construction period only takes three years, while conventional construction The second-generation nuclear power plant will take 6-7 years.

Zheng Mingguang, president of the Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute, said: "The (third-generation nuclear power) is 20 years longer than the conventional nuclear power plant's 40-year design life, which is 60 years."

How to turn the world’s most advanced nuclear power technology from drawing into reality, China’s independent innovation has taken the lead in mastering the core technologies of the third generation of nuclear power main pipe manufacturing and main equipment large-scale forgings manufacturing, and domestic equipment accounts for 55%. At present, 4 sets of 3rd generation nuclear power units are under construction in Zhejiang and Shandong respectively and will be built in 2013; the first batch of inland third generation nuclear power units designed in accordance with domestic standards will also be started at the end of this year. On this basis, the preliminary design of the large-scale advanced pressurized water reactor nuclear power plant technology independently developed by China has also been completed.

Sun Hanhong, deputy general manager of China National Nuclear Power Technology Corporation, said: "It is the Chinese people's own nuclear power technology with independent intellectual property rights that will begin construction in 2013 and be completed and put into operation in 2017, which will promote the development of nuclear power in China in an autonomous, batch-oriented manner."