Crews have lowered the top section of the containment vessel for one of the world's first Generation III AP1000 reactors at China's Haiyang nuclear plant.
The 659-ton containment vessel top head was placed Friday morning at the China Power Investment Corp. plant in Shandong Province, according to a Westinghouse release. Westinghouse is building two AP1000s at Haiyang and two at Sanmen, where the first vessel head was placed Jan. 29. The Pennsylvania-based Toshiba subsidiary is working with Chicago Bridge and Iron, State Nuclear Power Technology Corp. and Shandong Nuclear Power Company.
Work started on the new units in 2007, with the first concrete poured at Haiyang in 2009. According to the World Nuclear Association, the schedule calls for the Haiyang reactors to come online in 2014 and 2015.