Taishan Nuclear Power Plant
| Company type | Joint venture |
|---|---|
| Industry | Nuclear power |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Headquarters | Taishan, Guangdong , China |
Area served | Guangdong province, China |
| Products | Electricity generation (nuclear) |
| Owner | China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group (70%), Électricité de France (30%) |
The Taishan Nuclear Power Plant (), situated in Taishan, Guangdong province, China, operates two cutting-edge EPR reactors. Unit 1 commenced commercial operation in December 2018 but was taken offline from July 2021 until August 2022 to resolve issues related to fuel rod cladding. Unit 2 began its commercial activities in September 2019. Owing to delays encountered by other EPR projects in Finland and France, Taishan became the first nuclear facility worldwide to run an EPR reactor.
This venture is overseen by Guangdong Taishan Nuclear Power Joint Venture Company Limited (TNPC), with ownership divided between China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group (CGNPC) holding a 70% stake and Électricité de France (EDF) owning 30%.
Each reactor boasts a nameplate capacity of 1750 MWe. The site includes the largest single-piece electrical generators globally—Arabelle models manufactured by Dongfang Electric, each weighing 495 tonnes. From the total gross power output near 3500 MWe, approximately 180 MWe is consumed internally, mainly by pumps supplying water to steam generators. The combined net output of both units totals 3320 MWe, ranking them as the most powerful nuclear reactors on the planet.
Construction
Excavation work started on August 26, 2008, followed by the initial concrete pour for Unit 1 in October 2009. The original construction timeline for each reactor was set at 46 months, aiming to outperform the cost and duration of earlier EPR installations in Finland and France. Nevertheless, commissioning experienced multiple postponements. By February 2017, after 88 months of building activity, CGNPC announced that completion would be deferred to late 2017 for Unit 1 and mid-2018 for Unit 2.
Areva’s subsidiary Framatome was engaged to design the nuclear island, supply fuel for a period of fifteen years, and deliver technology transfer alongside engineering support.
In December 2017, reports emerged about a crack detected in a critical component—later identified as a deaerator vessel—during testing phases. Neither the plant’s operators nor the manufacturer issued any statements regarding this issue.
Commissioning schedules were adjusted again in January 2018, setting commercial operation targets for late 2018 and throughout 2019. This third delay within two years added roughly 5 billion yuan (around US$770 million) to costs, pushing investment expenses from an initial estimate of 14 yuan per watt to between 22 and 23 yuan per watt.
On April 9, 2018, the National Nuclear Safety Administration authorized initial fuel loading for Unit 1, which commenced on April 10. This event marked the debut of third-generation EPR technology use within a Chinese nuclear reactor.
Operations
Taishan Unit 1 achieved its first criticality on June 6, 2018. It was connected to the electrical grid on June 29, becoming the first EPR reactor worldwide to begin commercial service on December 13, 2018.
On February 21, 2021, a "level 0" event led to an automatic emergency shutdown (SCRAM) of Unit 1 after a technician inadvertently caused a circuit short while investigating a power supply fault. In response, all nuclear facilities reviewed and updated their protocols to improve system reliability and maintainability.
A second level 0 incident occurred on April 5, 2021, resulting in a minor release of radioactive gas measured at only 0.00044% of the yearly safety threshold.
Leaks and Reactor Suspension
On June 14, 2021, CNN disclosed a potential leak at the Taishan facility, citing information provided by Framatome to American authorities. The concern centered on the accumulation of inert fission gases xenon and krypton within the primary coolant loop, presumably originating from a breach in the fuel rod cladding—a recognized issue addressed by existing safety measures at the plant.
Radiation monitoring stations in proximity to the site in Japan reported no unusual readings. Nuclear specialist Li Ning criticized the media's portrayal as overstated, emphasizing that minor cladding breaches are frequent and controllable, and highlighting that coal-fired power plants release higher levels of radioactivity compared to nuclear installations.
By June 16, 2021, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment confirmed that only five out of 60,000 fuel rods (approximately 0.01%) exhibited cladding imperfections—significantly lower than the design threshold of 0.25%. China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) stated there was no radiation leakage beyond the primary coolant system. EDF described the circumstances as managed within operational guidelines but expressed apprehension regarding further degradation of fuel rods supplied by France. According to French nuclear regulations, such an event would necessitate shutting down the reactor for thorough inspection and repair.
After comprehensive technical evaluations, China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGNPC) suspended operations of Taishan Unit 1 on July 30, 2021, to conduct maintenance aimed at diagnosing the issue and replacing compromised fuel rods. The unit completed its maintenance activities and was reconnected to the power grid on August 15, 2022.
Reactor Information
The initial phase of the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant consists of two functioning reactors, with plans to add two additional reactors during Phase II.
| Unit | Reactor Type | Design Model | Net Output (MWe) | Gross Output (MWe) | Thermal Capacity (MWth) | Construction Start | First Criticality | Grid Connection | Commercial Operation | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase I | ||||||||||
| Taishan 1 | PWR | EPR | 1660 | 1750 | 4590 | November 18, 2009 | June 6, 2018 | June 29, 2018 | December 13, 2018 | |
| Taishan 2 | PWR | EPR | 1660 | 1750 | 4590 | April 15, 2010 | May 28, 2019 | June 25, 2019 | September 7, 2019 | |
| Taishan 3 | PWR | Hualong One | 1000 | 1200 | 3150 | |||||
| Taishan 4 | PWR | Hualong One | 1000 | 1200 | 3150 | |||||