MOSCOW, April 6. /TASS/. Rosatom has delivered the first nuclear fuel shipment to China’s Xudapu Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), the press service of the state corporation’s fuel division reported, adding that the initial fuel loading of the reactor core would enable the launch of the new VVER-1200 power unit.
"The Fuel Division of Rosatom (managed by TVEL JSC) has successfully supplied the initial nuclear fuel loading for the VVER-1200 reactor at Unit 3 of the Xudapu NPP in Liaoning Province, Northeast China," the report said.
The fuel for the initial core loading was manufactured at the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant, an enterprise of Rosatom’s fuel division. The shipment was completed under the contract between TVEL and the Chinese customers for the fuel supply for Generation 3+ Units 3 and 4 at the Xudapu NPP, which are based on VVER-1200 reactors of Russian design.
"The Xudapu NPP is a new destination in the geography of Russian nuclear fuel supplies. Prior to that, we had provided fuel for VVER-1000 and VVER-1200 reactors at the Tianwan NPP, as well as fuel assemblies for Chinese fast neutron reactors. This supply marks a new milestone in the dynamic partnership with our Chinese partners. By the end of this year, we also plan to manufacture and provide initial fuel core shipments for two other new VVER-1200 reactors at Tianwan and Xudapu NPPs," Senior Vice President for Commerce and International Business at TVEL Oleg Grigoriyev was quoted as saying.
Overall, four new VVER-1200 reactors are under construction in China, including Units 7 and 8 of the Tianwan NPP, as well as Units 3 and 4 of the Xudapu NPP. This is part of a large-scale intergovernmental Russian-Chinese cooperation program in nuclear energy.
Xudapu NPP is a nuclear energy cooperation project between Russia and China, located in Huludao (Liaoning Province). In 2019, a number of contracts were signed, including the general contract for the construction of Unit 3 and 4 of Xudapu NPP with reactors of VVER-1200 type, as well as a contract for the supply of nuclear fuel. The units are scheduled to be commissioned in 2027-2028.