11 Oct (NucNet): The reactor pressure vessel (RPV) head for Unit 1 of the Fangjiashan nuclear power plant in Zhejiang province, eastern China has been successfully set, the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has said.
The setting and closure of the RPV head with its 58 bolts is a key step of the work towards completion of the plant because it closes the loop on the primary circuit of the nuclear reactor.
The completion of the primary loop has opened the way for a pressure test of the primary systems, an important prerequisite for commissioning.
Fangjiashan-1, a 1,000-megawatt reactor of Chinese CNP-1000 design, has been under construction since December 2008.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, China has 18 commercially operational nuclear reactors and 29 under construction.
