Sanmen AP1000 Phase I Project by Shanghai Nuclear Engineering and Research Institute

The world’s first-of-a-kind (FOAK) Gen III AP1000 nuclear power plant, Sanmen nuclear power project, is a role model for China-US energy cooperation and represents the accomplishment of the phased goal of the “introduction, digestion, absorption and re-innovation” strategy for China’s Generation III nuclear power technology. This nuclear power technology was constructed in 3 phases with an investment of more than $6 billion. It makes the most of passive principle to shut down the reactor with no need for intervention for 72 hours following an accident by harnessing natural forces like gravity and convection to remove heat, thus significantly improving the safety of the plant.

For this China-US energy cooperation project, a three-step national strategy was defined to address project, inter-organizational issues, and US/China task force challenges. The global, multi-stakeholder effort with nuclear safety as the top priority was successfully delivered on time. Adopting the Earned Value Management (EVM) philosophy enabled early warning of project risks and provided a basis for scientific decision-making by the project management team. With the new nuclear technology, the team excelled in using PM tools & principles to continuously assess and manage both scope and change in time with the principle of progressive elaboration.