[HPR1000 news] Personnel airlock for Fangchenggang NPP set to start construction

Officials at the Fangchenggang Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) have announced construction will soon begin on the personnel airlock for phase two, which deploys HPR1000, an indigenous Chinese third generation nuclear power technology.

The announcement came during a conference held in Dalian, Liaoning province on April 19. It marked the solidification of the independently designed personnel airlock and transition to the equipment manufacturing phase.

China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN)’s design and manufacturing of a personnel airlock will support the localization of China’s third generation of nuclear power equipment and lower the costs of nuclear project construction and operation.

The personnel airlock is one of the most important devices in a nuclear power station. It permits the passage of people and small equipment when the reactor is in operation or when a hot shutdown occurs without damaging the airtightness of the containment. Most airlocks used in CGN’s projects were supplied by other companies.

China Nuclear Power Engineering Co (CNPEC), a subsidiary of CGN, began to design the airlock last April. After one year of research, it made breakthroughs on the key technologies needed and worked out the design for construction.

At the conference, staff in charge of quality supervision checked the prerequisites for manufacturing and the welding process, and the technicians from CNPEC detailed the design plan and some key technologies for the personnel airlock.

In addition, the attendees set the schedule for the construction project, which will pave the way for manufacturing the airlock.