US-Built Westinghouse AP1000 Reactor To Power Up In China In Nov 2013

The first American nuclear reactor, designated as AP1000, is expected to start functioning in November 2013 at the Sanmen Nuclear Power Station in China.

AsianScientist (Oct. 1, 2011) – The first American nuclear reactor, designated as AP1000, is expected to start functioning in November 2013 at the Sanmen Nuclear Power Station in China, says Gary T. Urquhart, vice president and MD of Westinghouse for India, South East Asia and the Taiwan region.

Speaking to Asian Scientist Magazine on Friday, Urquhart said that there will be four Westinghouse reactors in China, each of the 1100 MW design. Of the four, two will be constructed at Haiyang and two at Sanmen.

Weighing 340 tons, the first AP1000 nuclear reactor vessel arrived at the Sanmen nuclear power plant towards the end of July, and all key project milestones of the Sanmen project were met in 2010.

Urquhart gave a presentation during the Indo-US nuclear meet in Mumbai which is a part of the three-day India Nuclear Energy Safety Summit 2011, organized by the Indian Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and various other organizations.

He said that after the first American reactor becomes operational, the remaining three will start functioning at intervals of six months with the fourth one attaining criticality in 2015.

Urquhart, however, declined to go into the specifics about the financial aspects of the US-Chinese nuclear deal, redirecting inquiries to the operator.

At present, China has 14 nuclear reactors in four sites and 27 are under construction. The current share of nuclear power in China is a mere one percent as against four percent in India. This is set to change, as China is planning to increase its nuclear fraction to six percent by 2020.

The acquisition of the Westinghouse AP1000 advanced reactors is the main basis of China’s move to Generation 111 technology. Previously, China has built most of its reactors by adapting French technology. Areva, the French firm which is supplying light water reactors to the controversial Jaitapur project in Maharashtra, is also constructing reactors in China.

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Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine.
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