Progress is continuing at unit 4 of China’s Sanmen NPP in Zhejiang province, according to the Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research & Design Institute (SNERDI). The largest and heaviest of the six major components comprising the steel containment vessel – the 1,024- tonne CV1R module – has been hoisted into place in an operation lasting 2 hours and 15 minutes. The CV1R contains various components such as permeable casing, equipment gates and other accessories
SNERDI said the entire suspension process was smooth and orderly, safe and controlled and was based on experience gained during work at unit 3. "The successful installation of CV1R created good prerequisites for construction operations in the nuclear island reactor building, and also accumulated valuable experience for subsequent large-scale hoisting work," SNERDI noted.
The construction of two new at each of the Sanmen (3&4), Haiyang (3&4) and Lufeng (5&6) was approved by China's State Council in April 2021. The two Westinghouse AP1000 units of Phase I at the Sanmen plant (units 1&2) started operation in 2018. Two CAP1000 reactors – the Chinese version of the AP1000 – are being constructed as Phase II of the plant (units 3&4).
Image: The containment vessel being hoisted into place (courtesy of SNERDI)
