At Unit 2 of the Taipingling nuclear power plant in China’s Guangdong province, engineers have finished a critical round of testing designed to simulate the heat and pressure the reactor will face during normal operations. This is the second HPR1000, or Hualong One, reactor being developed at the site, which is eventually planned to house six such units.
“On 30 July, with the drainage of the primary circuit of Unit 2 of the Taipingling nuclear power plant to the circuit water level and the successful completion of the last test of Phase II.3, it marked the successful completion of the hot performance test, and the unit took another step towards the goal of high-quality commissioning,” China General Nuclear (CGN) said.
This phase of testing, known as hot functional testing, raises the reactor coolant system to high temperatures to check whether coolant channels and critical safety systems are functioning exactly as designed. These tests are carried out before any nuclear fuel is introduced into the system and are a vital part of confirming whether both the nuclear island and conventional equipment and systems meet their design requirements.
Earlier in the year, the plant completed cold functional testing at Taipingling 2. These assessments focused on ensuring that all safety-related components were installed correctly and could perform their roles in a cold condition. This round of checks was also the first time that the main reactor systems operated in conjunction with supporting auxiliary systems. The key aim was to verify the leak-tightness of the primary circuit.
Eventually, the Taipingling nuclear power plant will be home to six Hualong One reactor. Work began on the first two units in 2019 and 2020. Unit 1 completed its hot testing back in September 2024 and is expected to start up in 2025, with Unit 2 to follow in 2026.
In December 2023, China’s State Council approved the second phase of the project, which includes Units 3 and 4. Construction on Unit 3 got underway in June of this year.