SANYA, December 16. /TASS/. Hainan began installing equipment for The Linglong One (also known as ACP100), the world's first small modular reactor, at the Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant. This was reported by the Sansha Weishi TV channel.

According to the report, the work on the nuclear island has begun 75 days ahead of schedule. At this stage, a system of piping and other equipment will be installed to connect the nuclear island with the rest of the nuclear power plant.

The construction of the Linglong One commercial small modular reactor at Changjiang NPP began in July 2021. China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) is responsible for the construction, which will take 58 months and will be completed in early 2026.

Linglong One will be able to generate about 1 billion kWh of electricity annually, which will be enough to supply 526,000 households.

About the project

Linglong One is a pressurized water reactor with a capacity of 125 MW. It was developed based on the Hualong One reactor. Linglong One was approved by the IAEA in 2016 and became the world's first small modular reactor of its kind.

The reactor has been under development since 2010. Construction was originally scheduled to begin in 2017 but was delayed due to regulator inspections. It can be used for power generation, heat supply, seawater desalination and other tasks.

Small modular reactors are cheaper than conventional reactors, and they take much less time to build. Their small size makes it possible to deliver them ready-made to remote and hard-to-reach areas and start operating them relatively quickly.