The AP1000® PWR Project Moving Toward Completion in China

Abstract

The AP1000® pressurized water reactor (PWR) is the first and only Generation III+ nuclear power plant to be granted design certification by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The initial deployment of this technology has been the construction of dual AP1000 units in each of two coastal sites in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), at Sanmen (Zhejiang Province) and Haiyang (Shandong Province). The contracts for these units were framed to support the PRC’s intention to achieve self reliance in its nuclear supply infrastructure. Westinghouse is implementing its innovative supply chain strategy, “We Buy Where We Build”™, to promote the technology transfer and increasing levels of localization needed as each unit is constructed. Since the initial contract award in 2007, the Westinghouse Consortium and the purchasers, State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation of China (SNPTC), the Shandong Nuclear Power Company (SDNPC), and the Sanmen Nuclear Power Company (SMNPC) have worked in harmony to build the units using advanced modular construction techniques that reduce construction timescales and associated risks. First-of-a-kind (FOAK) plant components have been manufactured and delivered, including reactor vessels, steam generators, and other safety equipment. With construction and equipment installation in the final stages, the planning and implementation of the pre-operational testing, system turnover, and commissioning are now underway to prepare for fuel load and future commercial operation.