The reactor pressure vessel (RPV) has been installed at unit 2 of the Zhangzhou NPP in China's Fujian province, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has announced. This followed installation of three steam generators at the unit earlier in August. And has paved the way for the lifting of the inner dome and the welding of the main pipeline, CNNC said. The pressure vessel was independently designed by China Nuclear Power Research and Design Institute and manufactured by China First Heavy Machinery Co Ltd.

As with the steam generators, the RPV was installed using the "main equipment first-introduction method", also known as the open top method. This involves a large crawler crane lifting the equipment into the reactor building before the dome is put in place.

At Zhangzhou NPP, two Chinese-designed Hualong One reactors are under construction. China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued construction licences for Zhangzhou 1&2 in 2019 to CNNC-Guodian Zhangzhou Energy Company, the owner of the Zhangzhou NPP, which was established in 2011. It is owned by CNNC (51%) and China Guodian Corporation (49%). The licences are valid for 10 years. The units are scheduled to begin commercial operation in 2024 and 2025.

Image: Pressure vessel installation at Zhangzhou unit 2 (courtesy of CNNC)