The dome was installed on the containment building of China’s Fuqing 6 in Fujian province on 21 March. Fuqing 6 is the second demonstration HPR1000 or Hualong One reactor being built at the site. The 340t steel dome was put in place ten days ahead of schedule, according to China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).
China Nuclear Industry 23 Construction Company Limited (CNI23) noted that the emplacement of the containment building dome marks the formal transfer of the unit from the civil construction phase to the equipment installation phase.
In November 2014, CNNC announced that Fuqing 5&6 would use the domestically-developed Hualong One pressurised water reactor design instead of the previously planned ACP1000 design. China's State Council approved the construction in mid-April 2015. First concrete for Fuqing 5 was poured in May 2015 and for unit 6 in December 2015. The containment dome of Fuqing 5 was installed in May 2017. Fuqing 5&6 are scheduled for completion in 2019 and 2020.
CNI23 said, "At present, the installation of the nuclear island of unit 5 has entered a construction peak, with CNNC having successfully installed the reactor pressure vessel, three steam generators and the three main pumps."
Two Hualong One units are also under construction at China General Nuclear's (CGN's) Fangchenggang plant in Guangxi province. Those units are also expected to start up in 2019 and 2020.
Progress at Hongyanhe
Elsewhere in China, the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) for Hongyanhe 5 in Liaoning province was delivered to the construction site on 20 March, and installation began immediately, according to China General Nuclear (CGN). CGN has a 45% stake in Liaoning Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Co, owner and operator of the plant, along with State Power Investment Corporation (45%) and the Dalian Municipal Construction Investment Co (10%).
Hongyanhe 5 is the first of two 1080MWe CGN-designed ACPR-1000 reactors that will form the second phase of the Hongyanhe plant. The RPV was manufactured by Shanghai Electric Nuclear Power Equipment Co Ltd.
Construction of Hongyanhe Phase I, comprising four CPR-1000 pressurised water reactors, began in August 2009. Units 1 and 2 began operation in June 2013 and May 2014, followed by unit 3 n August 2015 and unit 4 in September 2016. Construction of Hongyanhe 5 and 6 began in 2015. Installation of the RPV for Hongyanhe 6 is scheduled to begin by the end of 2018. Phase II of the project is planned to be completed in 2021.
