Fuel loading begins at Changjiang 3

The first of 177 nuclear fuel assemblies was loaded into the reactor on 30 April, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced.

"This marks the official entry of unit 3 of the Hainan Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant into the nuclear commissioning phase, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent grid connection and power generation target, and taking a crucial step forward," the company said. "After fuel loading is completed, the project construction team will continue to uphold the core concept of 'pursuing excellence' and strictly follow technical specifications and quality standards to advance the subsequent commissioning work, ensuring that the unit is put into operation with high quality as planned."

_{(Image: CNNC)}

First concrete was poured for the base slab of unit 3's nuclear island in March 2021, with that of unit 4 being poured in the December of that year. 

Cold hydrostatic testing - carried out to confirm whether components and systems important to safety are properly installed and ready to operate in a cold condition - were completed in April last year. These were followed by hot functional tests, which involved increasing the temperature of the reactor coolant system and carrying out comprehensive tests to ensure that coolant circuits and safety systems are operating as they should.

Changjiang Phase II - units 3 and 4 - represents a total estimated investment of CNY40 billion (USD6.4 billion), according to China Huaneng, which holds a 51% share in the project, with CNNC holding the remaining 49%. The construction period is expected to be 60 months. Both Hualong One units are scheduled to be fully operational in early 2027.

The Changjiang nuclear site is already home to two operating CNP-600 pressurised water reactors (PWRs) - Changjiang 1 and 2 - which entered commercial operation in 2015 and 2016, respectively. In 2021, CNNC also began construction of a demonstration ACP100 small modular reactor at the site. The multi-purpose 125 MWe PWR - also referred to as the Linglong One - is designed for electricity production, heating, steam production or seawater desalination.