3.2.0.
13
Programme
the
The preliminary planning of the project has been aimed at commercial load on unit 1 being achieved in April 1988 with unit 2 following one year later. This is an extremely tight programme demanding utmost efforts from all parties. It is particularly important that the joint venture company is set up in the very near future to allow detailed work to be put in hand.
The time allowed for each major phase of the project is :-
•
initial phase (starting in early 1980 at the beginning of the feasibility study)
site formation phase
construction phase
testing phase
: 27 months
12 months
48 months
12 months
Following the initial phase, the critical activities for financial viability will be the site formation, the reactor foundations and the erection and commissioning of the nuclear steam supply system which must be held to time scale. Further financial model analyses and sensitivity tests will be made based on any revision necessary in the starting date and duration of the overall construction programme.
3.2.9.
Nuclear Fuel
For a PWR unit rated at 900 MW (e), the initial fuel charge will contain approximately 72 Te of uranium with enrichments of
1.8%, 2.4% and 3.1%. Each subsequent refuelling will require 25.5 Te of fuel at 3.25% enrichment.
Since the performance of the reactor is closely linked with the performance of the fuel assemblies it is customary for the reactor vendor to fabricate the first fuel charge. It is suggested that this procedure is adopted for the Joint Venture.
The natural uranium or enriched uranium hexafluoride for the fuel could either be supplied by the People's Republic of China or from elsewhere. No decision on the source of uranium has been made at the present time but if it can be shown that China can supply uranium at a competitive price than preference should be given to China.
For
the initial period of operation of the joint nuclear power station, the fuel assemblies will probably be fabricated by the reactor vendor. However, facilities may be developed within the People's Republic of China to fabricate fuel elements. If the quality of the se assemblies can be demonstrated by testing, and providing that the price is competitive, then preference should be given to Chinese fuel.
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