The reactor pressure vessel (RPV) for unit 5 of China’s Fuqing nuclear power palnt in Fujian province completed hydraulic pressure tests on 8 April.
Fuqing 5 is the first of two demonstration Hualong One units being built at the site. The tests aim to confirm the integrity of the welds and seals of the RPV, which was manufactured by China First Heavy Machinery. The tests were witnessed by officials from China's regulator, the National Nuclear Safety Administration; China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC); China Nuclear Power Engineering Company; reactor designer, the Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute (SNERDI); and China First Heavy Machinery.
In November 2014, CNNC announced that Fuqing 5&6 will use the domestically-developed Hualong One pressurised water reactor (PWR) instead of the ACP1000 reactor originally planned. Construction was approved by the China's State Council in April 2015. First concrete was poured for Fuqing 5 in May 2015 and construction of unit 6 began in December 2015. The units are scheduled to be completed in 2019 and 2020. Construction of two Hualong One units is also under way at China General Nuclear's Fangchenggang plant in Guangxi province, also expected to start up in 2019 and 2020.
