Workers install the outer dome of Linglong One, the world's first commercial small modular reactor, at a nuclear power plant in Changjiang Li autonomous county, Hainan province, on Feb 6, 2024. [Photo by Zhang Liyun/For chinadaily.com.cn]
The world's first onshore commercial modular pressurized water reactor, Linglong One, completed its final stage of construction in Hainan province, as reported by China Metallurgical News on Wednesday.
According to the metallurgy news outlet, Taiyuan Iron and Steel Group, based in Shanxi province, supplied the stainless steel plates used to make Linglong One's internal components.
The company's mission is "serving the country with steel and building a strong steel nation", which can be seen in its role at the forefront of advanced stainless steel material research and development.
As early as 2016, shortly after the Linglong One passed the safety review of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the company began actively tracking the stainless steel materials required for the project.
Workers install the outer dome of Linglong One, the world's first commercial small modular reactor, at a nuclear power plant in Changjiang Li autonomous county, Hainan province, on Feb 6, 2024. [Photo by Zhang Liyun/For chinadaily.com.cn]
In 2021, the company began to provide nuclear-grade stainless steel plates to the main equipment manufacturing unit - Dongfang Electric Corporation's Wuhan Boiler Company - to manufacture Linglong One's core internal components.
The internal components, known as the "heart" of the nuclear reactor, have a lengthy processing cycle and require a high degree of assembly precision.
They will support the reactor's fuel assemblies and provide shielding and protection for the core and pressure vessel, as well as support and guidance for various measuring devices, playing a crucial role in ensuring the reactor's safe operation.
After its completion, Linglong One will become a turning point for the nuclear energy industry, ushering in a new era of multi-purpose nuclear energy, the report said.
An increasing number of small commercial reactors will be used in areas across China, including islands, mining areas, industrial parks and remote areas.
Workers install the core module of Linglong One, the world's first commercial small modular reactor, at a nuclear power plant in Changjiang Li autonomous county, Hainan province, in August 2023. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Workers make nuclear-grade stainless steel plates for Linglong One at a Taiyuan Iron and Steel Group plant in Shanxi province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Workers make nuclear-grade stainless steel plates for Linglong One at a Taiyuan Iron and Steel Group plant in Shanxi province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
