Fuel Loading Completed for Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant Unit 7, Entering Commissioning Phase with Nuclear Fuel

On August 18, with the completion of core loading correctness verification and the commencement of protective tube assembly reinstallation, the first nuclear fuel loading work for Unit 7 of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, was successfully concluded, marking the entry into the commissioning phase with nuclear fuel. This laid a solid foundation for subsequent reactor criticality, grid connection, and commercial operation of the unit.

Fuel loading is a key milestone in the entire lifecycle of nuclear power plant construction and a critical starting point for the unit's operation with nuclear fuel. Unit 7 of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant is the first VVER-1200 Generation III nuclear power unit to be constructed in China, and this fuel loading also marks the first-ever fuel loading for a VVER-1200 type nuclear power unit in China. The loading process commenced on the 12th and was fully completed by the 18th, with a total of 163 nuclear fuel assemblies loaded, comprising three parts: fuel assembly transfer, fuel loading into the core, and loading correctness verification. The most critical step, fuel loading into the core, utilized a fully automated remote fuel loading control system. Throughout the entire loading process, all operations on fuel assemblies were automatically completed by the system based on pre-set coordinates from the operators. It is understood that Unit 7 of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant will subsequently carry out reactor reassembly, reactor criticality, turbine rolling, and grid connection work.

The Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant plans to construct a total of 8 units, with Units 1-6 already completed and put into operation, cumulatively supplying over 500 billion kWh of electricity to the grid. The under-construction Units 7 and 8 each have a single-unit installed capacity of 1.265 million kW, with a design service life of 60 years. According to the project construction plan, Units 7 and 8 of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant are scheduled to enter commercial operation in 2026 and 2027, respectively. Once all 8 units of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Base are fully operational, the total installed capacity will exceed 9 million kW, with an annual power supply of over 70 billion kWh, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 57.4 million tons per year.