Beijing has ambitious plan for 200 GW of reactor capacity by 2035
China has announced further progress at three nuclear construction sites, with containment building components installed at sites in Shandong and Guangdong provinces, said local reports.
At the Haiyang-4 nuclear power unit in Shandong, eastern China, the steel dome of the external containment was hoisted into position on 9 February.
Haiyang-4 is a 1,161-MW CAP1000 pressurised water reactor, China’s Generation III indigenous version of US-based Westinghouse’s AP1000 design. Construction of Haiyang-4 began in April 2023.
In the southern province of Guangdong, workers completed the installation of the external containment building dome for Unit 1 of the Lianjiang nuclear power station on 10 February.
Lianjiang-1 is the first of two CAP1000 pressurised water reactor units planned as the initial phase of the station, which will eventually house six such reactors.
Construction of Lianjiang-1 began in September 2023, while all main nuclear island equipment installation was in October 2025.
At a third site, the second segment of the inner steel containment for Unit 1 at the Zhaoyuan nuclear power project in Shandong province was successfully hoisted into place on 8 February.
The 245-tonne module was lifted into place by a 2,000-ton crawler crane.
Zhaoyuan-1 will be a domestically developed Hualong One pressurised water reactor unit. First concrete was poured for the nuclear island slab in November 2025.
A total of six reactor units are planned for each of the Zhaoyuan, Haiyang, and Lianjiang sites. Two Westinghouse AP1000 PWR units are already operating at Haiyang since 2018, while Zhaoyuan and Lianjiang are new sites.
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s database of nuclear plants in China says the country has 58 plants in commercial operation. However, recent construction starts have brought the total number of units under construction to 36.
China is aiming for 200 GW of nuclear capacity by 2035, up from around 57 GW today. Nuclear is expected to contribute about 10% of power generation in the country by 2035 – up from around 4.5 today – and 18% by 2060, with a total generation capacity of 400 GW by 2060, the China Nuclear Energy Association has said.
Top photo: Workers completed installation of the external containment building dome for Lianjiang-1. Bottom: the second segment of the inner steel containment for Zhaoyuan-1 was hoisted into place. Courtesy CNNPN.
