Low-voltage (LV) power, control and instrumentation cables will support vital safety and control functions for one of the world's largest nuclear power projects.
Nexans has been awarded a €9m contract by China Nuclear Power Engineering, (CNPEC) to supply specialised low-voltage (LV) power, control and instrumentation cables for the 1,660 MWe Taishan EPR nuclear power plant currently under construction in Guangdong Province.
Nexans is supplying K3 type (not safety classified) cables for the Taishan project that have been specifically designed and tested to deliver exceptional performance, reliability and safety in nuclear power installations. They will ensure enhanced fire-performance in emergency situations based on a high level of fire-retardancy and fire-resistance together with low-smoke and low toxicity characteristics provided by the use of zero-halogen materials.
Typical duties for the LV power cables will be to power the pumps that transfer water between the reactor vessels and the steam generators. The control cables will provide primary control for primary pumps, safety valves, ventilation and air-conditioning and so on, while the instrumentation cables will be used for constant system surveillance by measuring parameters such as steam pressure, water and component temperature, liquid levels, flow rates and vibration.
"China is a very important market sector for Nexans, so we are very pleased to be involved in this key development in the country's growing nuclear power industry that already has 25 reactors under construction and many more in the planning stages", says Bernard Albouy, Nexans' global segment manager for nuclear industry. "The key to winning the contract for the Taishan project was our wide portfolio of products that are fully qualified for nuclear power applications, together with a proven track record in similar projects and a reputation for handling the complex project management and documentation issues demanded by customers in the nuclear industry."
The cables for the Taishan nuclear power plant will be manufactured in the Nexans Mehun-sur-Yèvre plant in France, deliveries to the site in China will commence at the end of 2010 and are scheduled for completion by the end of 2011.