The main control room of China's Linglong One, the world's first commercial small modular reactor on land, officially went into operation in south China's Hainan Province on Tuesday, marking the start of a peak system equipment installation period for the reactor.
Much like the role of the brain in the human body, the main control room functions as the monitoring and control center for a nuclear power plant's systems and equipment. As the Linglong One's digital control system network is gradually being installed and put into use, staff members began testing the equipment, monitoring its operating status and giving relevant commands from the main control room.
"Compared with other nuclear power units, the Linglong One's main control room equipment is more integrated. The equipment composition is more streamlined, and the safety of various operations has been greatly upgraded," said Zhao Long, deputy director of engineering management at China National Nuclear Corporation's (CNNC) Hainan branch.
Located in Changjiang County of Hainan, the Linglong One is a multi-purpose small modular pressurized water reactor independently developed by the CNNC. Construction of the Linglong One is expected to finish by 2026.
After full-scale completion of its construction, the reactor is expected to achieve an annual power generation capacity of one billion kWh, which would meet the needs of about 526,000 households. It is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 880,000 tons per year, equivalent to planting 7.5 million trees a year.
Main control room of world's first commercial modular small nuclear reactor on land goes into operation
