The EPR reactor at unit 2 of China’s Taishan NPP in Guangdong province reached full generating capacity for the first time, France’s Framatome announced on 9 August. Taishan 2 is expected to enter commercial operation later this year. Taishan NPP is owned by the Guangdong Taishan Nuclear Power Joint Venture Company Limited (TNPJVC) comprising EDF (30%) and China General Nuclear (CGN). Unit 1 began construction in 2009, followed by unit 2 in 2010. Taishan 1 achieved first criticality and was connected to the grid in June 2018, beginning commercial operation in December. Unit 2 achieved criticality in May and was connected to the grid in June.
These are the third and fourth EPR units under construction, after unit 3 at the Olkiluoto NPP in Finland and unit 3 at France’s Flamanville NPP. Both are significantly behind schedule and over-budget. In July, Finnish utility Teollisuuden Voima Oyj announced a further delay in the start up of Olkiluoto 3. Fuel is expected to be loaded into the reactor in January 2020, with the start of regular electricity generation scheduled for July 2020. The loading of fuel into the core of the Flamanville EPR in France was expected towards the end of this year, but in June EDF said start-up of the unit will be delayed until the end of 2022 because of necessary repairs to welds in its primary circuit.
