Tianwan nuclear power plant installs key component of Unit 7

This photo taken on May 19, 2023 shows a crawler crane lifting the circular belt of the reactor dome of the Tianwan nuclear power plant Unit 7 in east China's Jiangsu Province. (China National Nuclear Corporation/Handout via Xinhua)

BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The circular belt of the reactor dome of the Tianwan nuclear power plant Unit 7 was successfully installed on Friday in east China's Jiangsu Province, marking the start of the equipment installation of the unit, according to the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), one of the country's largest nuclear power operators.

Weighing 375.5 tonnes, the circular belt of the dome was lifted by a 2,000-tonne crawler crane and slowly installed on the reactor containment cylinder. The installation accuracy is controlled at millimeter-level.

With an upper diameter of about 36.52 meters, a lower diameter of 44 meters, and a height of about 12.27 meters, the circular belt is distributed with installation equipment of different specifications.

The dome is an important barrier for nuclear power plant safety, and also an important element in ensuring the integrity and sealing of the reactor containment building and realizing reactor safety.

At present, the Tianwan nuclear power plant has had the cumulative safe power generation of its six units exceed 370 billion kWh, which can supply more than 100 million households in China for 1.5 years.

Unit 7, as well as Unit 8, has a capacity of 1.265 million kilowatts and is estimated to generate about 10 billion kilowatts of electricity every year.

After the completion of the two units, the total installed capacity of the Tianwan nuclear power plant will exceed 9 million kilowatts. The power plant can provide more than 70 billion kWh of clean electricity every year, which can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 57.4 million tonnes annually.

The Tianwan nuclear power plant will play an important role in building a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient modern energy system, promoting green and low-carbon development, and achieving the nation's goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, said the CNNC.

Construction of these two units began two years ago. On May 19, 2021, Unit 7 and Unit 8 of the Tianwan nuclear power plant, and Unit 3 and Unit 4 of the Xudapu nuclear power plant in Huludao City, northeast China's Liaoning Province, all started construction on the same day.

Tianwan nuclear power plant Unit 1 was officially put into commercial operation on May 17, 2007. On August 16 of the same year, Unit 2 started commercial operation.

Unit 3 and Unit 4 were put into commercial operation on Feb. 15 and Dec. 22 in 2018, respectively.