China: The dome of the 2nd reactor building has been fitted successfully

Construction of the 2 EPR reactors at the Taishan nuclear power station in China reached a new stage of development today. Less than one year after fitting the dome on reactor 1, the owner and future site operator, Taishan Nuclear Power Joint Venture Company ( TNPJVC), which is 30 % owned by EDF and 70 % owned by its Chinese partner, the electricity company CGNPC, has successfully proceeded to fit the dome of the 2nd reactor building.

As with the installation of the dome for the first reactor unit in October 2011, these large-scale manoeuvres required the mobilisation of one of the most powerful cranes in the world. This operation marks the end of the major civil engineering works on the reactor buildings, which have involved around 2000 people for a period of two years.

With its dome fitted, the reactor building will subsequently house the heavy components of the nuclear reactor (steam generators, reactor pressure vessel, pressurizer vessel, etc). The air-tight sealing of the structure is guaranteed by the welding of the whole of the dome area, which is then covered with 7000 tons of concrete, to strengthen its resistance.

Building works for the two reactors at the Taishan plant are progressing in parallel. After the installation of the reactor vessel in June, the steam generators will be positioned in reactor 1 in the next few weeks. The success of these consecutive operations signal a new step forward in the construction of the two EPR reactors in China, for which AREVA provided the nuclear island.