China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced that the concreting wall panels more than 7 meters above the internal structure of the ACP100 reactor building “creates good conditions for the subsequent introduction of main equipment and lifting of the containment steel shell head”.
Outstanding features of the ACP100 reactor
Compared to traditional nuclear power technology, miniaturization, modularization and integration are the outstanding features of the ACP100 reactor, also known as Linglong One, according to CNNC. “Its main body is wrapped in a steel safety shell, and the total thickness of the concrete floor is over 7.5 meters. Because of its small-space structure with dense steel bars and many pre-integrated elements, the construction is extremely complex,” she added.
Changjiang Construction Project
CNNC announced in July 2019 the start of a project to build an ACP100 reactor in Changjiang, in China’s Hainan island province. The site already houses two CNP600 reactors in operation, while construction of the two Hualong One units began in March and December 2021. Both units are expected to enter commercial service by the end of 2026.
Progress of the construction work
Concreting of the first 125 MWe multi-purpose nuclear reactor began in July 2021, with a total planned construction period of 58 months. The last concrete vessel for the underground containment walls of the conventional reactor island was poured in August of last year. Work to install the equipment began in December.
ACP100, an integrated PWR nuclear reactor under development since 2010
In development since 2010, the preliminary design of the ACP100, an integrated PWR nuclear reactor, was completed in 2014. The major components of its primary cooling system are installed in the reactor pressure vessel. In 2016, the design became the first small modular reactor (SMR) to pass an International Atomic Energy Agency safety review.
