Nuclear development in China has continued apace with the grid connection of a new reactor, the completion of a reactor building and a heavy forging deal.

The third reactor at Qinshan Phase II nuclear power plant was connected to the East China Power Grid just before midnight on 1 August. The reactor is a CNP-600 pressurized water reactor upgraded to produce 650 MWe instead of the 600 MWe of previous iterations. After a program of tests, Qinshan II-3 is due to enter full commercial operation next year.

Another CNP-600 is also under construction at Qinshan, about one year behind, while four more are planned for the Changjiang site. Apart from two Areva EPRs being built at Taishan, the bulk of of China’s new build program is based on CPR-1000s, Westinghouse AP1000s and then larger domestic derivatives of this.

Meanwhile in Fujian province, China Nuclear Engineering and Construction Corporation celebrated the addition of Ningde 2’s reactor dome — a full 68 days ahead of schedule, it said. This unit is a CPR-1000 slated to start commercial operation late in 2012 for owner China National Nuclear Corporation.

And in another move foreshadowing the order of more Westinghouse AP1000s, China First Heavy Industries has said it will be making the reactor pressure vessel for the first unit of the Xianning nuclear power plant. This is to be one the first sited inland and the first in which China Guangdong Nuclear Power Company will build AP1000s. Site works are already underway and construction is expected to start before the end of this year.