OREANDA-NEWS. On August 24, 2007 unit 2 of Tianwan NPP, a Russian-design nuclear power plant in China built under the supervision of Atomstoryexport CJSC, produced its 1,000,000,000th KWh, reported the press-centre of Atomstroyexport.

The unit has been working at full capacity since Aug 16 2007, when it was put into commercial service by Jiangsu Nuclear Power Corporation (China). This proves that Russian nuclear technologies are safe and efficient. Now the unit continues producing electricity for Jiangsu province. Its equipment fully meets the international standards. Atomstroyexport and Chinese specialists are watching its work round-the-clock.

Now Atomstroyexport and JNPC are preparing documentation for the preliminary acceptance of unit 2. They are planning to sign the relevant protocol in mid Sept. The signing of the protocol will confirm the fulfillment of Atomstroyexport’s commitments and will be followed by a two-year guarantee maintenance period.

The 1st unit commissioned in June 2007 is about to produce its 5,000,000,000th KWh.

Note
On Dec 18 1992 the Russian and Chinese governments agreed that they would jointly build an NPP in China and that Russia would provide China with a government credit for that project. In 1992–1997 the sides considered details, made contracts and additional agreements, prepared the feasibility report, Russia supplied China with necessary materials. At first, the sides planned to build the NPP in the province of Liaoning, but, later, they chose Lianyungang City of Jiangsu Province. On Dec 29 1997 Russia and China signed a general contract stipulating that Atomstroyexport should build in Lianyungang two nuclear power units with WWER-1000 reactors with a total capacity of 2000 MW. The construction was started in 1998.

Among the other participants in the Unit 2 project were Atomenergoproject (St. Petersburg), general designer of Tianwan NPP, Hydropress, designer of reactor system, Kurchatov Institute, research manager, as well as Izhora Plants, Power Machines and other companies producing equipment for NPPs – a total of 150 Russian companies and organizations.

Experts say that WWER-1000 reactor is very safe. It has deeply echeloned protection system: double shell for preventing emission of radiation and for protecting the reactor and a kind of a trap for keeping melted core inside and preventing it from destroying the foundations of the plant in case of an accident. This is a unique technology and China is the first country to have it. The “trap” has been designed by Russian engineers and approved by Russian, Chinese and IAEA inspectors.

Atomstroyexport is the leading Russian organization implementing inter-governmental agreements on the construction of NPPs abroad. Presently, it is the only company in the world that is simultaneously building six nuclear power units in China, India, Iran and Bulgaria.