China begins construction of new nuclear units at San'ao and Zhaoyuan plants

Technicians in China have officially begun construction of two more Hualong One nuclear units. The first is at the new Zhaoyuan nuclear power plant, which will have a total of six reactors. The second will be built as part of the second phase of the San'ao nuclear power plant. China's Hualong One units have an installed capacity of around 1.2 GW. The planned construction period is 5 years.

Construction of new Hualong One nuclear units in China has reached two important milestones. In the second half of November, technicians officially began construction with the first concrete pour at two sites. These are the first unit at the new Zhaoyuan plant in Shandong province and the third unit at the San'ao nuclear power plant in Zhejiang province. The Chinese government approved construction of both nuclear units in August last year.

“We have confirmed that preparations for San'ao unit 3 meet the conditions for construction to begin. China General Nuclear can therefore start pouring the first concrete for the nuclear island foundations,” China's nuclear regulator (National Nuclear Safety Administration - NNSA) said.

Construction of a pair of nuclear units is already underway at the San'ao nuclear power plant, with work having begun in 2020 and 2021. China General Nuclear (CGN) plans to bring them online in 2026 and 2027. The third unit is part of the plant's second, two-unit phase. The total installed capacity of San'ao upon completion of all three phases will exceed 7 GW (gross), and the plant will supply 54 TWh of electricity to the grid annually.

“The total volume of the first concrete pour is approximately 8 820 cubic metres, and the pour is expected to take 57 hours,” said Huang Weide, deputy general manager of CGN.

The first Hualong One with a cooling tower

The new Zhaoyuan nuclear power plant, planned to have six Hualong One units, is notable because it will be the first Hualong One unit to use a 203-metre cooling tower as part of its secondary circuit. The cooling tower will reduce the unit's reliance on seawater and cut the electricity needed to pump it from the coast, several kilometres away. An installed reservoir will ensure cooling can be maintained for at least 30 days if the seawater supply is interrupted.

“By using this technology, the Zhaoyuan project expands the options for siting further nuclear units and provides new reference experience for China's future nuclear development,” said Yu Xiangdong, executive director of Shandong Zhaoyuan Nuclear Power.

Chinese builders completed construction this year of a record-high cooling tower at a nuclear power plant at the Lianjiang site. That nuclear power plant, however, uses China's other reactor design, the CAP1000.