China powers ahead with domestic nuclear technology

China's homegrown nuclear reactor technology CNNC Hualong One (HPR 1000) makes the country among the few in the world to have independently developed third-generation nuclear power technology, and is helping China reduce carbon emissions and increase energy accessibility.

The first two reactor units using the CNNC Hualong One (HPR 1000) technology, the No 5 and 6 reactors at Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant in Fuzhou, Fujian province, demonstrate the technical strength and safety of the third-generation nuclear reactor technology, according to Tang Hongbin, senior operator at the nuclear power plant affiliated to China National Nuclear Corp, or CNNC.

Nuclear operators like Tang are affectionately called huang jin ren, which means "golden men" in English, because their knowledge and expertise is so valuable that they are said to be worth their weight in gold.

Differing from traditional power plants in burning fossil fuels to power electrical generators, nuclear power plants generate energy through a process called fission.

Fission is the process of splitting uranium atoms to produce energy, which does not require burning. As a result, nuclear power plants do not release carbon or pollutants like nitrogen or sulfur oxides into the air.

According to Tang, one of the characteristics of the CNNC Hualong One (HPR 1000) is the amount of fuel bundles needed. The CNNC Hualong One (HPR 1000) is equipped with 177 fuel bundles, 20 more than the precedent technologies.

The increase of the fuel bundles not only means that the CNNC Hualong One (HPR 1000) can help generate 5 to 10 percent more power than that of second-generation technology, but also improves the overall safety of the power plant, since there are fewer burdens per individual fuel bundle.

In addition, the CNNC Hualong One (HPR 1000) is equipped with a raft of safety measures to make sure the safe operation of the power plant, Tang said.

"In the event of an emergency, second-generation power plants require electricity to initiate and run safety systems long enough for the reactor core to cool. This is referred to as an 'active system'.

"The great thing about third-generation nuclear power technology like the CNNC Hualong One (HPR 1000) is that if the active system fails, due to electricity outage, a back-up system will take over that does not require electricity. This is called a 'passive system'," Tang noted.

Construction on the No 5 reactor at the Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant started on May 7, 2015, and is scheduled to complete in 2020. More than 5,300 Chinese enterprises and nearly 200,000 people have taken part in the research and construction of the power plant. The project marks that China has mastered the construction, operation and maintenance of its own nuclear energy, according to the CNNC.

Advertorial