Steam generator installation begins at Haiyang 4

Steam generators are heat exchangers which convert heat generated by the reactor core into steam, which is transported to the conventional island via the main steam pipeline. The steam generator drives the steam turbine, which then drives the generator to generate electricity.

The first of the two steam generators for Haiyang 4 - each with a diameter of nearly 6 metres, a length of about 24 metres, and a net weight of over 630 tonnes - was hoisted into place within the reactor building on 13 August in an operation lasting 3 hours and 22 minutes.

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State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) said the installation of the first steam generator - the heaviest and largest components of the nuclear island reactor's primary circuit - has "laid a solid foundation for the connection of the main circuit of the nuclear island reactor and the capping of the reactor building".

SPIC noted that, based on the construction experience of Haiyang unit 3, workers "formulated improvement measures, established a daily meeting system to sort out various prerequisites, used mature and reliable laser 3D measurement and modeling technology to carry out installation simulation, carried out special prerequisite supervision and inspection, and strictly controlled on-site safety and quality during the hoisting process to ensure the precise positioning of the steam generator."

_{(Image: CNNC)}

The construction of two CAP1000 reactors - the Chinese version of the Westinghouse AP1000 - as units 3 and 4 of the Haiyang plant was approved by the country's State Council on 20 April 2022.

The first safety-related concrete was poured for the nuclear island of Haiyang unit 3 in July 2022, with that for unit 4 being poured in April 2023. The two units are scheduled to be fully operational in 2027.