China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has announced the commencement of commissioning for China’s inaugural industrial-use nuclear energy steam supply endeavor. The pioneering project involves the extraction of steam from the secondary circuits of units 3 and 4 at the Tianwan plant, both of which are Russian-supplied VVER-1000 units. Following multi-stage heat exchange processes, the heat will be conveyed via a thermally insulated above-ground pipeline to the Lianyungang Petrochemical Industrial Base for industrial applications.
Spanning approximately 23.36 kilometers, the long-distance steam supply main line of the Tianwan nuclear power steam energy supply initiative extends from the Tianwan nuclear power plant to the Xuwei Petrochemical Industrial Park. This innovative project signifies a novel approach to harnessing nuclear energy to address the steam requirements of the petrochemical industry while simultaneously curbing comprehensive energy consumption and mitigating environmental pollution.
Upon completion, the facility is poised to supply 4.8 million tonnes of steam annually, resulting in the reduction of approximately 1.07 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, 184 tonnes of sulphur dioxide emissions, and 263 tonnes of nitrogen oxides emissions. Anticipated to be operational by June, this project heralds a groundbreaking advancement in leveraging nuclear energy for industrial steam applications, marking a significant step towards sustainable energy utilization in China.