China General Nuclear has reached two significant milestones with two new nuclear reactors, announcing it had connected the Unit 2 of the Yangjiang Nuclear power station to the grid and that another reactor, Ningde 3 had reach first criticality.
The Yangjiang power station is in Guangdong province in southeastern China. The new reactor is part of a massive construction build of four CPR-1000 pressurized water reactors that began with Unit 1 in December 2008.
Construction of the fourth unit did not begin until late 2012. Unit 2, meanwhile, is expected to be commercially viable soon. Unit 1 has been operating commercially for about a year.
In addition, CGN began construction of two ACPR1000 reactors at Yangjiang in 2013.
The plant is operated by the Yangjiang Nuclear Power Company. Construction of Unit 2 began in June 2009, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Ningde Unit 3, which has reach criticality, is a CPR-1000 pressurized water reactor that will be operated by Fujian Ningde Nuclear Power Company Ltd. It is designed for a net capacity of 1018 MW with a gross capacity of 1080 MW.
Construction of Ningde Unit 3 began in January 2010. It reached first criticality on March 8, according to the IAEA.
The plant is located in the Fujian province in southeastern China, just north of Guangdong.