First nuclear unit with Hualong One reactor connected to grid

FUZHOU -- China's first nuclear power unit using Hualong One technology, a domestically developed third-generation reactor design, was connected to the grid on early Friday morning.

The No 5 nuclear power unit in the city of Fuqing, East China's Fujian province, was connected to the power network at 0:41 am Friday and started to generate electricity, according to the China National Nuclear Corporation.

Zhao Hao, general manager of Fujian Fuqing Nuclear Power Co Ltd, a subsidiary of the CNNC, said the power unit is functioning well, with technical performance meeting the designed requirements.

The unit's successful connection to the grid will help improve the competitiveness of China's nuclear power industry, optimize the country's power structure and promote the country's green and low-carbon development, Zhao said, adding that the unit will undergo a series of tests and trial runs before it starts commercial operation.

The CNNC and China General Nuclear Power Group jointly designed the Hualong One reactor, which passed inspection by a national panel in 2014.

The reactor, with all of its core components produced domestically, has a designed life of 60 years and meets the strictest safety standards in the world, according to the CNNC.

Construction of the No 5 nuclear power unit in Fuqing began in 2015. The CNNC is currently building a total of six nuclear power units using Hualong One technology around the world.