South Korea restart and China Nuclear start and other nuclear News

Three South Korean nuclear power reactors forced to stop operations in May 2013 after finding safety-related control cabling had falsified documentation have been given approval to restart. With the cabling having been replaced, Korea’s Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC) has now given Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) approval to restart operations at Shin Kori units 1 and 2 and Shin Wolsong unit 1.

Construction has started on the sixth unit at the Yangjiang nuclear power plant in China’s Guangdong province – the largest nuclear construction site in the world. The first two reactors there, together with several other units elsewhere in the country, are nearing start-up.

China has at least 5 nuclear reactors that will start commercial operation in 2014. There are about 9 other nuclear reactors that were expected to complete in 2013 or 2014. Two were completed in 2014.

The first unit at Yangjiang moved closer to commissioning by achieving first criticality. The unit was then connected to the grid on 31 December and is expected to enter commercial operation around May. Meanwhile, cold testing of the nuclear island of Yangjiang 2 began on 30 December.
The first four Yangjiang units are CPR-1000 pressurized water reactors, with units 5 and 6 being the more advanced ACPR-1000. All the reactors should be in operation by 2018, producing a grand total of around 6100 MWe.

First criticality was achieved by unit 2 of the Ningde plant in Fujian province on 20 December. The CPR-1000 – one of four being built on the site – is scheduled to start commercial operation in the second half of 2014. All four units will be in operation by 2015.

Meanwhile, the initial hot testing of the nuclear island of the first unit at the Fuqing plant, also in Fujian province, was successfully completed on 24 December. There are plans for a second phase of hot tests, which aim to simulate the temperatures and pressures which the reactor’s systems will be subjected to during normal operation. This important phase ensures coolant circuits and nuclear safety systems are functioning properly before fuel can be loaded.

Construction of Fuqing 1 started in November 2008 and it is scheduled to begin operating early in 2014.

Fuqing Unit 2, construction of which began in June 2009, is expected to start up in September, 2014.

Cold testing also began at unit 3 of the Hongyanhe plant in northern Liaoning province on 27 December. The reactor is scheduled to begin operating in 2014.

Jet boring at Cigar Lake in Canada on track for Uranium Ore production in the next three months

Jet boring has begun in the orebody of the Cigar Lake uranium project in Canada, Cameco has announced. With construction essentially complete, the project remains on track for first ore production in the first quarter of 2014.

If you liked this article, please give it a quick review on ycombinator or StumbleUpon. Thanks