Unit 2 of the Fangchenggang nuclear power plant in western China has been connected to the grid, China General Nuclear said over the weekend.
A total of six units are planned for the plant that is located about 30 miles from Vietnam in the Guangxi Autonomous Region of China. Three different designs have been chosen for the plant. The first two units are CPR-1000 reactors, while units 3 and 4 are to be Hualong One type reactors. The final two units are to be Westinghouse-designed AP1000 reactors.
Unit 2, which was connected to the grid on Friday, will be run through a series of operational tests that are frequently referred to as ascension testing, which is a systematic study of the plant's systems under increasing levels of power.
The first turbine run up for Unit 2 took place on July 6 after reaching first criticality on June 29. Fuel loading, involving 157 fuel assemblies, was completed on May 24.
CGN owns 61 percent of the plant, while the Guangxi Investment Group owns the remaining 39 percent.