China Nuclear News Weekly Roundup – 12/03 - 12/07
“R&D of CAP1400’s RPV” Key Project Completed & Accepted by the NEA
On December 4th, Research & Development of CAP1400’s Reactor Pressure Vessel, part of the CAP1400 National Key Research Project, was completed and accepted by the NEA. The expert review panel consisted of 16 experts invited by the NEA from the China Machinery Industry Federation (CMIF), China General Machinery Industry Association, Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), the Nuclear Power Institute of China (NPIC), State Nuclear Power Engineering Company (SNPEC), etc. The panel concluded that the project meets the requirements from the contract, fulfills the standards of inspection, and has justifiable budgetary expenses.
The project was initiated in January 2013, taking four and a half years to complete. Its accomplishments include a successful design of the RPV, localization of key manufacturing technologies for critical forgings, etc. the project thus paves the way for building a CAP1400 with proprietary intellectual property rights.
Progress of NPPs Under Construction
Hongyanghe Unit 6’s RPV has been recently installed and it is projected to begin commercial operation in 2021.
The full scope simulator for Tianwan Units 5&6 passed pre-shipping inspection, 124 days ahead of schedule.
Jiamusi City Selected as the Site of SPIC’s Demonstration Nuclear Heating Project
SNERDI held a conference regarding the inspection for site selection of SPIC’s demonstration nuclear heating project on November 28–30th, during which the suitability of the proposed site at Jiamusi city, Heilongjiang Province was discussed and reviewed by a panel of experts. The panel consisted of ten members from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, China Earthquake Administration, China International Engineering Consulting Corporation (CIECC), SNERDI, and China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC). More than seventy representatives from other relevant participating parties attended, including the Development and Reform Commission of Heilongjiang Province, SPIC, Jiamusi Municipal Government, etc. The panel concluded that the proposal passed the requirements, thus becoming the first milestone of the demonstration project. Provincial and local leaders said during the conference that the project would receive full support from relevant government branches.
China Life Insurance Company Invests CNY 8 Billion in SPIC Subsidiary
On December 4th, China Life Insurance Company signed a debt-for-equity swap and capital investment agreement in Beijing with China Power Investment Nuclear Company, a subsidiary of the former China Power Investment Corporation, now SPIC. The investment is implemented under recently issued State Council policies, including the Guiding Opinion on Supporting the of Insurance Industry to the Real Economy from the China Insurance Regulatory Commission, and Opinion on Steadily and Proactively De-leveraging of Enterprises and Guiding Opinion on Marketized Banks’ Debt-for-Equity Swap from the State Council.