Karachi K2/K3's Steam Pipe Welding Completed

At 4:12 pm Aug 28, local time in Karachi, Pakistan, the last joints between the nuclear island's main and conventional island of the first overseas Hualong One reactor were welded.

Hualong One is China's third-generation nuclear power technology with complete proprietary property rights. It is an iconic achievement of China in nuclear power innovation and a milestone as the country evolves into a strong power in this field.

The Pakistan Karachi K-2/K-3 project is an overseas demonstration project of Hualong One and a general-contracted project between China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and Pakistan as well as a major project along the Belt and Road.

As the carbon-steel pipeline system with the highest security protection level in the power plant, steam and water supply pipes are the main arteries of the power plant's secondary circuit.

All the joints, 53 on main steam pipes and 76 on water supply pipes, were welded manually as the pipe shells are thick and have large diameters.

To ensure the quality of welding work, technicians of the project analyzed difficulties and conquered problems of hoisting and welding as well as a complex construction environment.

A total of 48 main pipe joints and 16 major water supply pipe joints were welded within 48 days, laying a solid foundation for cold testing of K2 power units.

(Executive editor: Zhang Tianyuan)