File photo of Taishan nuclear power plant. (Photo/Xinhua)
China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group CGN and Electricity of France (EDF) announced last Friday the commercial operation of unit 1 of the Taishan nuclear power plant, at a joint press conference in Beijing.
The commercial operation commenced on December 13, after the final statutory functional test of continuous operation at full power for 168 hours.
This marks the achievement of all prerequisite conditions for the reactor's safe operation, and marks the world's first European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) running commercially.
Two units of Taishan 1 will annually reduce coal consumption by 8.03 million tons and greenhouse gas emissions by 21.09 million tons, the same amount that is absorbed by 58,500 hectares of forest.
Located in Chixi county of Taishan, South China's Guangdong Province, Taishan 1 is the biggest energy project under the cooperation scheme between China and France.
The successful commercial operation of Taishan 1 is based on the 40 years of operational experience of pressurized water reactors worldwide.
"As the world's first EPR project, Taishan offers valuable lessons and solutions for the construction of similar reactors worldwide and it will play a demonstrative and supportive role in the joint construction of the Hinkley Point C project in the UK by CGN and EDF," said He Yu, chairman of the China General Nuclear Power Group.
