2 April 2016

Ningde‑4 and Hongyanhe‑4 Connected to China’s Power Grid

Ningde-4 and Hongyanhe-4 Connected to China’s Power Grid

Within three days, China connected its first two nuclear units in 2016 to the grid. More are scheduled to follow. The fourth CPR-1000 reactor at the Ningde nuclear power plant started generating power on 29 March 2016. Hongyanhe-4, also a CPR-1000, followed on 1 April. As reported by WNISR, there are significant safety concerns over the aged design of the CPR-1000. China General Nuclear (CGN) is involved in both projects.

The Ningde power plant is located on three islands in Fuding city in the northeast of Fujian province on the coast of the Taiwan Straits. There have been delays in start up of Ningde unit-4, construction of which began in 2010 and originally planned for startup in 2015. The grid connection brings Phase I of the Ningde plant to completion, consisting of four CPR-1000 design reactors; Phase II will see two additional CPR-1000 units constructed.

The Hongyanhe nuclear power plant is in Liaoning province. As in the case of Ningde, the startup of unit 4 marks the completion of Phase I of the project. Phase II comprises two units of CGN’s “advanced” ACPR1000 design. Construction of both units started in 2015 (see here and here). Their startup is scheduled for 2019 and 2020 respectively. The overall project is owned and operated by Liaoning Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Co, a joint venture between CGN and State Power Investment Corporation, each holding a 45 percent stake, with the Dalian Municipal Construction Investment Co holding the remaining 10 Percent.

CGN, one of two large State controlled nuclear players in China besides CNNC (China National Nuclear Corporation), plans an additional three reactor grid connections in 2016.