San'ao unit 2 completes first fuel loading

CGN’s San’ao nuclear unit 2 in Wenzhou completed its first fuel loading on 2 November and entered nuclear commissioning, China News Service reported that day.

The operation transferred 177 fuel assemblies from racks in the spent-fuel pool into the reactor core. Semi-automatic equipment followed a prepared loading sequence entered into the refuelling-machine control system, with qualified personnel operating the equipment.

The report identifies a CGN-developed floating lighting device used to illuminate underwater work inside the core. This is a supporting technology for the loading operation, rather than evidence that all startup tests have finished.

San’ao is planned as six Hualong One units in three phases, with four units approved so far. Completion of first loading is a unit-2 commissioning milestone. It does not establish grid connection or commercial operation, and the completed site’s projected generation is not current output.