The Tianwan nuclear power plant, a Sino-Russian cooperation project under construction on the east China coast, will see its No.1 generating unit connected to the local power grid next May.

An engineer in charge of the construction said the No.1 generating unit would begin commercial operation in December 2004. 　　

Tianwan nuclear power plant, in Lianyungang, a port city in east China's Jiangsu Province, would eventually have six generating units and be completed in three stages.

Key technology for the power plant has been modeled on that of nuclear power stations in Russia and other countries. Tianwan power station will have four Russia-made pressurized water reactors.

The first phase of construction will include the installation of the No.1 and No.2 generating units with a combined capacity of 1.06 million kilowatts.

Construction of the two generating units started in 1999 and 2000 respectively.

The engineer said major equipment with the No.1 generating unit was all installed, with the installation of auxiliary equipment being finalized.

Civil engineering with the No.2 generating unit is completed. Equipment installation with this unit had begun and proved much faster than the No.1 unit, said the engineer, who was confident the No. 2 unit would start commercial operation in 2005.

The fuel needed by the two generating units in the first three fuel replacement cycles would be made in Russia. The generating units would have to rely on domestically made fuel from the fourth fuel replacement cycle, said the engineer.

The first batch of fuel to Tianwan nuclear power plant would be delivered by Russian partners to Tianwan nuclear power plant later this year, the engineer added.

Tainwan is the third nuclear power base in China after Qinshan, in the eastern Zhejiang Province, and Daya Bay, in the southern Guangdong Province, both of which are already operating.

(Xinhua News Agency September 21, 2003)