The VVER-1200 reactor pressure vessel (RPV) has been installed at unit 8 of China’s Tianwan NPP in Jiangsu province with technical support from Rosatom’s Engineering Division. The RPV, weighing 331.7 tonnes, was delivered to the construction site in late August.
“Installation of the reactor vessel is a high-precision operation”, said Alexey Bannik, Vice President of Projects in China at JSC Atomstroyexport (ASE). “Russian experts in this technological process provided technical support to our Chinese partners. After the installation of all large-sized equipment is completed, the engineers of the Engineering Division will have to undertake supervision of installation and supervision of equipment at unit 8.”
This will include installation of the main circulation pumps, steam generators and the main circulation pipeline.
In 2018, Russia and China signed four agreements, including for the construction of two VVER-1200 reactors for Tianwan units 7&8. Construction of unit 7 began in May 2021, and unit 8 in February 2022. The units are scheduled to be commissioned in 2026-2027. Tianwan 1-4, with VVER-1000 reactors, commissioned between 2007 and 2018, are already in operation. Units 5&6 with Chinese ACPR-1000s were commissioned in 2020 and 2021.
Tianwan NPP is owned and operated by the Jiangsu Nuclear Power Corporation, whose shareholders are CNNC (50%), China Power Investment Corporation (30%) and Jiangsu Guoxin Group (20%).
