China Nuclear News Weekly Roundup - 03/25 -03/29

Progress on HPR1000 Units

CNNC has confirmed recently that the control rod drive mechanisms (CRDM) have been delivered for Fuqing Unit 6 and Karachi Unit 3. At the moment, all four of CNNC’s under construction HPR1000 units, namely Fuqing Units 5&6, Karachi Units 2&3, have their CRDMs prepared.

Following the successful attachment of the upper half of the CI turbine’s medium-high pressure cylinder on March 11th, the low-pressure cylinder underwent the same process and had its upper half buckled last Tuesday. The milestone reached on March 26th means that all three cylinders of the CI turbine are now well installed at Fuqing Unit 5.  

Five days later, on March 31st, power backfeed was successfully achieved through Fuqing Unit 5’s primary transformer. The milestone secures the power source for the incoming commissioning and subsequent work.

China and France Committed to Continue Cooperation in Alternative Energy

During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to France from March 24-26th, a series of deals were signed on strategic industries, including civil nuclear projects. On March 25th, a cooperation agreement was signed between the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA). The agreement is a 13th edition renewal of the cooperative agreement initiated more than 30 years ago. On the following day, a MOU was signed by CGN and EDF to further their cooperation on multiples areas, including solar and offshore wind projects.

In addition to the deals signed, French President Macron specifically mentioned the project to build China’s first reprocessing plant. According to Macron, “the dynamic” of the reprocessing project had been accelerated.

On-Grid Tariffs for Imported Gen III Units Released

The NDRC released its Notice on Tentative On-Grid Tariff of the First Batch of Gen III Nuclear Projects earlier today. The commission has decided that the on-grid tariffs (tax included) for Taishan Phase I, Sanmen Phase I, and Haiyang Phase I are CNY 0.4350 per kWh, CNY 0.4203 per kWh, and CNY 0.4151 per kWh. The tentative prices will expire at the end of 2021. The notice refers back to its 2013 rule of the benchmark on-grid tariff for Gen II nuclear power plants, which was set at CNY 0.43 per kWh, and the principle of supporting Gen III demonstration projects by allowing flexibility for higher prices. The released tentative prices, according to the Notice, also reflects the willingness to subsidize the demonstration projects of respective provincial government.