Weighing 334.2 tonnes and with a length of 12 metres, the reactor vessel was installed in the design position within the unit's reactor building on 16 October, Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom announced.
The reactor vessel was delivered to the construction site in early August after a two-month journey by sea from Russia. The vessel's delivery came the day after four steam generators were delivered. Before installation, the equipment passed incoming inspection in accordance with regulatory requirements.
In April, Rosatom reported that the reactor vessel and steam generators had set off from the production site at the same time as a similar set for India's Kudankulam 5 - which it said was the first time two sets of such equipment had been shipped at the same time from one production site. The delivery route was by road from Atommash, in the Volgodonsk area of Russia, to a specialised factory berth before being moved by barge to St Petersburg before travelling by sea to China and to India.
Rosatom said that now the reactor vessel has been installed at Tianwan 7, specialists will next install the main circulation pumps, steam generators and the main circulation pipeline.
"In accordance with contractual obligations, as part of the installation of the reactor vessel, the Russian side provides technical support to Chinese specialists," said Alexei Bannik, Vice President for Projects in China and Advanced Projects of JSC Atomstroyexport. "Upon completion of the installation of all large-sized equipment, Russian engineers and builders will have to carry out supervision of installation and supervision of commissioning of the equipment of the nuclear island of power unit No.7."
The Tianwan plant is being built by Russia's Rosatom - in June 2018, Russia and China signed four agreements, including for the construction of two VVER-1200 reactors as units 7 and 8 of the Tianwan plant. They are scheduled to be commissioned in 2026-2027.
