Today, a ceremony of the first concrete pouring has been held in accordance with the project schedule at the Tianwan NPP power unit No. 8 of the Russian design. 

“Cooperation between Russia and China in the area of NPP construction has been going on for decades. We know and appreciate each other as successful partners, reliable friends and help-mates in the implementation of the most important strategic projects. Now we are working on the implementation of new contracts, namely four high-yield Gen 3+ VVER-1200 units that are to be connected to the Chinese grid in the coming years. Even as we speak, the equipment is being designed and delivered in an intensive and positive way. There are going to be the most important construction works,” Atomstroyexport JSC Vice-President for Projects in China Alexei Bannik pointed out. 

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The documentation elaborated by the engineers of the Atomenergoproekt JSC Design Institute in St. Petersburg and handed over to the Chinese Customer has offered a chance to start the concrete pouring procedure according to the schedule. 

“As part of the implementation of the project, a designer supervision group has been established at the Tianwan NPP site. The division is in charge of supervising adequacy of the documentation, the work done by the Chinese Customer and its subcontractors,” Atomenergoproekt JSC Director for Design of NPPs with VVER Reactors in China Valery Kedrov pointed out. 

The strategic package of documents to determine major guidelines for the Russian-Chinese cooperation in the nuclear industry for the next decades, was signed in June 2018. In particular, it was decided to build four new power units with Gen3+ VVER-1200 reactors, namely power units No. 7 &8 of the Tianwan NPP and power units No. 3&4 of the Xudapu NPP. The Tianwan NPP is the largest facility built as part of the Russian-Chinese economic cooperation and located in the city of Lianyungang (Jiangsu Province). The first two power units equipped with VVER-1000 reactors have been built by Russian specialists and operated since 2007. In 2010, the Rosatom State Corporation and the China National Nuclear Corporation continued their cooperation to sign a general contract for the construction of the NPP second stage (power units No. 3 and No. 4). In 2018, the commissioning of the second stage power units was successfully completed. 

In March 2019, the formal signing of the general contract for construction of new 1200 MW apiece units (Nos. 7&8) at the Tianwan NPP site, was took place in Beijing. As part of this project, an intergovernmental Minutes of Meeting and a framework contract for construction of the up-to-date VVER-1200 reactors (Generation 3+) were signed. In accordance with the documents, the Russian side will design the NPP nuclear island and supply the key equipment of the nuclear island for both units. Commissioning of the units is scheduled to take place in 2026-2027. 

The VVER-1200 design is characterized by the increased safety and reliability which is provided by an additional passive system for removing heat from the steam generators and a passive system for removing heat from the containment, to maintain the reactor plant in a steady and safe condition within almost an indefinite time.
Source: Communications Dept. of Rosatom
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