Hualong One, a Chinese-designed nuclear reactor, uses many advanced construction technologies to save costs.
The Hualong One nuclear power plant under construction in Zhangzhou. Photo: CGTN
The two Hualong One (Hualong 1) test projects, one in Fuqing City, China and the other in Karachi, Pakistan, were completed in 2022 and have been operating well since then. Now, Chinese engineers are looking to build a faster and better Hualong 1 reactor in Zhangzhou, Fujian Province in southeast China, to improve cost efficiency, quality and competitiveness, CGTN reported on May 13.
"Since the construction of Unit 1 in Zhangzhou began, we have been trying to enhance safety and quality management with higher requirements. We are trying to build nuclear power plants in a more efficient way to increase profits," said Song Fengwei, general manager of CNNC Guodian Zhangzhou Energy.
To achieve this goal, Song said, his team has made great strides in technological innovation. "A key aspect is modular construction. That is, assembling prefabricated parts into a complete structure inside a factory elsewhere, before transporting them to the construction site and installing them on site," Song explained.
This method significantly improves efficiency and quality. Song and his colleagues also optimized the construction process. "For example, the main equipment is lifted into the reactor building before the dome is erected, a technique called 'open top'. Similar to building a house, the conventional way is to build the roof before putting in the furniture. Here, we changed the sequence to put in the furniture before putting in the roof," Song said.
The main benefit of the above method is that the initial sequential sequence of civil engineering and equipment installation is optimized to proceed in parallel, thereby significantly improving construction efficiency. As the following units continue to be built, Song hopes to further improve efficiency and cut costs.
Six Hualong 1 units, each with an installed capacity of more than 1 million kilowatts, will be built at the Zhangzhou nuclear power plant. In addition, engineers have left space for two more units. Construction of unit 1 began in January 2019 and unit 2 began a year later (September 2020). Unit 1 is expected to be completed in October next year and unit 2 in 2025. CNNC Guodian Zhangzhou applied for a construction permit for units 3 and 4 in December 2022, starting later this year.
The entire project, consisting of eight units, is scheduled to be completed in 2035 and will be able to generate 72 billion kWh of electricity per year upon completion. The project is owned and operated by CNNC Guodian Zhangzhoudo, a joint venture between China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and China Guodian Group.
An Khang (According to CGTN )
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