8 Dec (NucNet): China’s Generation III ACP-1000 nuclear reactor design, also known as ‘Hualong One’, has passed an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) generic reactor safety review (GRSR), China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said.
According to the IAEA experts who reviewed the reactor design, the safety features of the ACP-1000 use advanced nuclear power technology which meet safety requirements, CNNC said. The design has been validated through detailed experiments and is safe and reliable, the IAEA concluded.
The ACP-1000 is a 1,100 megawatt, three-loop pressurised water reactor. It has a combination of active and passive safety systems, a single stack layout, 177 nuclear fuel assemblies, a double containment structure, and a comprehensive implementation of “defence-in-depth” design principles, CNNC said.
According to the IAEA, the objective of a GRSR is to evaluate the completeness and comprehensiveness of a reactor's safety documentation. The reviews are carried out at the request of an organisation from an IAEA member state.
CNNC said the success of the GRSR provides “international recognition” for the ACP-1000 reactor design and will help with the “international marketing” of the technology.
CNNC is working in a 50:50 partnership with China General Nuclear Corporation (CGN) on development of the ACP-1000. The design is based on CGN’s ACPR-1000, a more advanced version of CGN’s Generation II CPR-1000 and CNNC’s ACP-1000 designs.
In August 2014, CNNC said the ACP-1000 had passed a safety review which would allow the technology to be exported.
In November 2014, CNNC said it had designated the Fuqing nuclear power station in Fujian province for the construction of the first ACP-1000 units.
