Fuel loading began at unit 3 of China’s Tianwan NPP in Jiangsu province on 18 August. Russia’s Atomstroyexport and Atomenergoproekt (subsidiaries of state nuclear corporation Rosatom) said in a joint statement that physical start-up of the 990MWe AES-91 VVER-1000/VER V-428M unit is ahead of schedule with grid connection expected before the end of the year. The Tianwan plant is owned and operated by Jiangsu Nuclear Power Corporation, a joint venture between CNNC (50%), China Power Investment Corporation (30%) and Jiangsu Guoxin Group (20%). Once fuel loading of the 163 fuel assemblies is complete, the commissioning process will begin with commercial operation scheduled for 2018. Units 1 and 2 began commercial operation in 2007 and unit 4 is under construction – all VVER-1000 units. Units 5 and 6 will be Chinese-designed Generation II+ CNP-1000 units while units 7 and 8 are expected to be Russian supplied VVER-1200 units.
