Cold function tests have been completed at unit 1 of the Taishan nuclear power plant in China’s Guangdong province. The unit is expected to start up later this year and will be the first EPR reactor to begin operating. The tests were completed at 11.30pm on 27 January, China General Nuclear (CGN) announced the following day. The company said the milestone marks “the world’s first cold test to be completed on the EPR nuclear power plant”. Cold performance tests include the initial start-up of fluid systems and support systems. The objective of this stage is to obtain initial operational data on equipment, ensure compatibility of operation with interfacing systems and verify the functional performance of these systems. China’s National Nuclear Safety Administration carried out on-site inspections and evaluations at Taishan 1 between 21 and 24 December, and issued a permit on 29 December for the cold function tests to be conducted. The tests began the following day. Taishan 1 has been under construction since 2009 and is expected to start up in early 2017, while Taishan 2 is scheduled to begin operating later that year.
World Nuclear News 1st Feb 2016 read more »