Liaoning province site will eventually have six reactor units.
The inner steel containment dome has been hoisted into place for Unit 1 of the Xudapu* nuclear power station being built in Liaoning province in northeast China.
Developer China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said the operation will allow the project to transition from the civil engineering to the equipment installation phase.
The dome, a steel component that weighs about 780 tonnes, was installed earlier this month, CNNC said.
Xudapu-1 is of the CAP1000 PWR design, a domestic version of the Westinghouse AP1000 design. Construction started in November 2023.
The steel containment is an important part of the Generation III plant’s nuclear island reactor building and a key safety barrier to prevent the leakage of radioactive materials.
CNNC said the Xudapu nuclear station is designed to have six units in total.
Units 1 and 2 are of the CAP1000 design, while Units 3 and 4 are of the Russia-supplied VVER-1200 PWR design. The technology for the fifth and sixth unit has not been disclosed.
According to the latest data, China has 36 reactor units under construction. Of those, 12 CAP1000 units are under construction: two each at Haiyang, Lianjiang, Sanmen, Xudapu, Lufeng, and Guangxi Bailong.
* Xudapu is also written in English as Xudabao or Xudabu. The IAEA reactor database uses the official ‘Xudapu’ transcription.
