"At 10.00am on 15 September, the unit 1 of CGN Taipingling Nuclear Power Station completed the primary circuit drainage, marking the successful completion of the unit's hot functional test," China General Nuclear (CGN) said.
Hot functional tests involve increasing the temperature of the reactor coolant system and carrying out comprehensive tests to ensure that coolant circuits and safety systems are operating as they should. Carried out before the loading of nuclear fuel, such testing simulates the thermal working conditions of the power plant and verifies that nuclear island and conventional equipment and systems meet design requirements.
CGN added: "At the same time, the operating personnel will become more familiar with the operation of the power plant through the test process to ensure absolute nuclear safety."
It said that completion of the hot tests - which began on 27 June - takes "another step towards the goal of high-quality production, laying a solid foundation for subsequent loading, grid-connected power generation and other work."
Cold functional tests - which are carried out to confirm whether components and systems important to safety are properly installed and ready to operate in a cold condition - were completed at the unit earlier. The main purpose of those tests - which marked the first time the reactor systems were operated together with the auxiliary systems - was to verify the leak-tightness of the primary circuit.
The Taipingling plant will eventually have six Hualong One reactors. The construction of the first and second units began in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Construction of the second phase of the plant - units 3 and 4 - was approved by China's State Council on 29 December 2023.
CGN has constructed two demonstration Hualong One units as units 3 and 4 of its Fangchenggang plant in the Guangxi Autonomous Region. Unit 3 entered commercial operation on 25 March last year, whilst unit 4 started commercial operation in May this year.
