On March 10, the first reactor pressure vessel (RPV) of the high-temperature gas-cooled demonstration reactor was transported to the construction site at Shidao Bay, which marked a milestone of the demonstration project.

The RPV is one of the core equipment of nuclear power plants, which contains and supports the core of reactors and is an important shield that ensures the safe operation of reactors. China’s first self-designed and self-made RPV for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors is around 25 meters in height and 700 tons in weight. It is so far the largest and heaviest RPV in the world.

During its manufacturing, China made breakthroughs in six key welding technologies, five key cold production technologies, including the rolling of large cylindrical panel, three key machining technologies, including sealing surface, and two key manufacturing technologies for measurement. The Chinese team also developed a 460-ton workblank forging, which is the heaviest forging in the world for nuclear purposes, thus ensuring the success of the hydrostatic test of RPV at the first time, realizing the domestic manufacturing of ultra-large RPV and providing support for the commercial promotion of the high-temperature gas-cooled reactors.