Taishan Nuclear Power Plant

The Taishan Nuclear Power Plant (Chinese: 台山核电站; pinyin: Táishān Hédiànzhàn) is a nuclear power plant in Taishan, Guangdong province, China.[1] The plant features two operational EPR reactors. The first unit, Taishan 1, entered commercial service in December 2018. The second unit, Taishan 2, entered commercial service in September 2019. Delays at other EPR construction sites in Finland and France have meant that Taishan was the first nuclear power plant to have an operational EPR.

Taishan Nuclear Power Plant 台山核电站
Taishan Units 1 & 2
Country	China
Location	Taishan, Guangdong
Coordinates	21°55′4″N 112°58′55″E
Status	Operational
Construction began	2009
Commission date	2018
Construction cost	50.2 billion yuan (US$7.5 billion)
Owner(s)	CGNPC (70%), EDF (30%)
Nuclear power station
Reactor type	PWR
Reactor supplier	Areva
Cooling source	Yaogu Bay
Power generation
Units operational	2 × 1750 MW (gross)
Nameplate capacity	3,500 MW
External links
Commons	Related media on Commons

The project is owned by Guangdong Taishan Nuclear Power Joint Venture Company Limited (TNPC), which is 70% owned by China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group (CGNPC) and 30% by Électricité de France (EDF).

The plant's twin reactors each have a nameplate capacity 1750 MWe. Its Arabelle generators are the largest single-piece electrical generators in the world, each weighing 495 tonnes and built by Dongfang Electric. Of the 3500 MWe gross delivered, around 180 MWe will be used by plant systems such as the pumps that circulate cooling water, leaving 3320 MWe net for supply to the grid.[2]

Construction

On August 26, 2008, excavation work began.[3] The first concrete for the first unit was poured in October 2009.[4] Construction of each unit was planned to take 46 months, significantly faster and cheaper than the first two EPRs in Finland and France.[5] These plans have proved elusive as start up has been repeatedly delayed. In February 2017 after 88 months of construction, CGNPC announced that completion of the reactors would be delayed until the second half of 2017 and the first half of 2018.[6]

In spite of this announcement, completion of the plant was delayed. In December 2017, Hong Kong media reported that a boiler had cracked during testing, and that welding on the component was considered "problematic". Neither the nuclear plant's operators nor the manufacturer of the affected component responded to the news agency's request for comment.[7][8] The boiler was later found to be a deareator, which removes dissolved oxygen from water by heating it.

In January 2018 commissioning was rescheduled, with commercial operation expected in late 2018 and 2019.[9] This was the third delay in two years, involving a further deferral of 5 billion yuan (US$770 million). It was estimated that the plant’s investment cost would rise to between 22 and 23 yuan per watt from an originally budgeted 14 yuan.[10]

On April 9, 2018, the Official Letter of Approving the Initial Fuel Loading of the first unit of the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant was issued by the National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA). Taishan Unit 1 began fuel loading at 18:18 on April 10, marking the beginning of fuel loading of the first reactor using the third-generation nuclear power technology EPR.[11]

First criticality was achieved at Taishan Unit 1 on June 6, 2018.[12] On June 29, 2018, Taishan 1 was connected to the grid.[13][14] It became the first EPR to enter commercial operation on December 13, 2018.[15]

Reactor data

The Taishan Nuclear Power Plant Phase I consists of two reactors: both reactors are in commercial operation. Its Phase II consists of adding two additional reactors.

Unit	Type	Model	Net power	Gross power	Thermal power	Construction start	First criticality	Grid connection	Commercial operation	Notes
Phase I
Taishan 1	PWR	EPR	1660 MW	1750 MW	4590 MWth	November 18, 2009	June 6, 2018	June 29, 2018	December 13, 2018	[4][16][17][6][9]
Taishan 2	PWR	EPR	1660 MW	1750 MW	4590 MWth	April 15, 2010	May 28, 2019	June 25, 2019	September 7, 2019	[17][18][19][6][9][20][21]

See also

• Nuclear power in China
• List of nuclear reactors#China

References

1. "Taishan nuclear power plant to be one of world's largest". People's Daily. December 22, 2009. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
2. "The generator stator for the Taishan 1 EPR has arrived on site and been hoisted into place for installation". World Nuclear News. October 11, 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-05.
3. "NPP under construction". China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group. Archived from the original on 2011-01-02. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
4. "Nuclear Power in China". Information Papers. World Nuclear Association (WNA). 29 November 2010. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
5. Patel, Tara; de Beaupuy, Francois (2010-11-24). "China Builds Nuclear Reactor for 40% Less Than Cost in France, Areva Says". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
6. "China delays nuclear reactor start again". Yahoo! News. 2017-02-21. Retrieved 2017-02-21.
7. "Tests reveal crack in key component of Chinese nuclear power plant, 130 km west of Hong Kong". Hong Kong Free Press. FactWire. 12 December 2017.
8. https://medium.com/@factwire/a-battle-for-transparency-two-years-of-holding-taishan-nuclear-power-plant-accountable-4765402f9180
9. "Taishan schedule factors in commissioning tests". World Nuclear News. 2 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
10. "CGN Power's latest project delay deals another blow to China's nuclear energy ambition". South China Morning Post. 2 January 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
11. "中法合资广东台山核电站1号机组装料在即". Retrieved 2018-04-10.
12. "First criticality achieved at Chinese EPR". www.world-nuclear-news.org. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
13. "Taishan 1, world's first EPR connected to the grid". EDF Energy. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
14. "China's Taishan 1 reactor connected to grid". www.world-nuclear-news.org. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
15. "First EPR enters commercial operation". World Nuclear News. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
16. "Nuclear Power Reactor Details - Taishan 1". Power Reactor Information System (PRIS). International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 2012-07-16. Retrieved 2012-07-17.
17. "EDF says first Taishan nuclear plant to be ready end 2015". reuters.com. Reuters. 29 Jan 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
18. "Nuclear Power Reactor Details - Taishan 2". PRIS. IAEA. 2012-07-16. Retrieved 2012-07-17.
19. "First concrete for second Taishan reactor". World Nuclear News. WNA. 16 April 2010. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
20. http://www.world-nuclear.org/reactor/default.aspx/TAISHAN-2
21. "The second EPR reactor at China's Taishan nuclear power plant about to enter into commercial operation". EDF Energy. EDF. 6 September 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019.