Unit 2 of Phase I of the Sanao Nuclear Power Project Completes First Fuel Loading

Recently, Unit 2 of Phase I of CGN's Zhejiang Sanao Nuclear Power Project successfully completed its first nuclear fuel loading, marking the unit's official transition from the engineering installation phase to the new stage of commissioning with nuclear fuel in the main systems, and representing a key step toward the full completion and commercial operation of Phase I.

It is reported that the fuel loading operation adopted a semi-automatic refueling system, precisely transferring 177 nuclear fuel assemblies sequentially into the reactor core. Since the commencement of nuclear island installation, the Sanao project department of China Nuclear Industry 23 Construction Co., Ltd., the contractor, has strictly followed the principles of "safety first, quality first, pursuit of excellence," and completed a series of major prerequisite tests—including nuclear circuit flushing and cold and hot performance tests—to a high standard, creating solid conditions for this safe and efficient fuel loading.

Upon full completion, the Sanao Nuclear Power Project is expected to have an annual power generation capacity of more than 54 billion kWh, equivalent to reducing standard coal consumption by more than 16.35 million tons and cutting carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 50 million tons. This will not only provide a continuous supply of green, clean baseload electricity for the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta and the national computing hub nodes of the "East Data, West Computing" initiative, but also further demonstrate China's outstanding execution capability in the batch construction of the "Hualong One" advanced nuclear power technology.

Next, all participating construction units will keep safety at the forefront and strictly control quality, steadily advancing preparations for subsequent criticality, casing tests, and grid-connected power generation, ensuring that the Sanao Nuclear Power Project enters commercial operation safely, smoothly, and with high quality, and continuing to contribute nuclear power strength to the construction of China's new energy system.