Guangdong site will eventually house six CAP1000 reactors
First safety related concrete has been poured for the nuclear island at Phase I of the Lianjiang nuclear power station in Guangdong province, southern China, reports have said.
State Power Investment Corporation, one of the world’s largest energy producers, said construction work on the first unit began at the end of last month. It said the plant is scheduled to be in operation in 2028.
Lianjiang-1 is the first of two CAP1000 units planned as the initial phase of the station, which will eventually house six such reactors.
The CAP1000 is China’s indigenous version of the Westinghouse AP1000 pressurised water reactor nuclear plant.
The cost of the two units has been estimated by China-based news outlets at $5.6bn (€5.3bn).
Four further CAP1000 plants are planned for the second phase of the Lianjiang project.
The Lianjiang station is not listed in the International Atomic Energy Agency’s reactor database, which says China has 22 nuclear plants – significantly more than any other country – under construction. Lianjiuang-1 would bring that number to 23.
Reports in China said in April work had begun on the first phase of the foundation pit at the nuclear island construction site for Lianjiang-2. Similar work began for Unit 1 in September 2022, the reports said.
Construction of the two CAP1000 plants at the Lianjiang site was approved by China’s State Council in September 2022.
According to China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, from 2021-25, the government wants to have 70 GW of installed nuclear capacity by 2025, up from 51 GW at the end of 2020 and an increase of more than 40%, after failing to meet its previous target of having 58 GW of installed capacity by 2020.
