Unit 4 of China’s Yangjiang NPP in Guangdong province began supplying electricity to the grid on 8 January, China General Nuclear (CGN) announced the next day.
The unit will now undergo a load test run and other relevant testing before entering full-power demonstration operation. It is expected to enter commercial operation in the second half of 2017. Hot testing of Yangjiang 4 was completed in September last year and loading of nuclear fuel into the reactor's core was completed in November.
Six Chinese designed units are planned for the Yangjiang site. The first four are 1080MWe CPR-1000 pressurised water reactors, with units 5 and 6 being ACPR-1000s.
Unit 1 entered commercial operation in March 2015, with units 2 and 3 following in June 2015 and January 2016. First concrete for Yangjiang unit 5 was poured in September 2013, with that for unit 6 following three months later. CGN said the units are currently in the equipment installation phase, with unit 5 marking the first application of a digital control system designed in China. All six reactors should be in operation by 2019.
