Construction of another unit officially begins at China's Lufeng nuclear power plant

Construction has begun in China on another 1,250 MW nuclear unit at the Lufeng power plant. At the brand-new plant in Guangdong province, it is the first of four CAP1000 units. A further pair of Hualong One units has been under construction at Lufeng since 2022 and 2023, respectively. Once fully completed, the plant will generate more than 50 TWh of electricity per year.

China General Nuclear (CGN) announced that it officially began construction of the Lufeng 1 nuclear unit with the first concrete pour on 24 February. The new CAP1000 unit, the Chinese version of Westinghouse’s US AP1000 design, has a capacity of 1,250 MW.

“Today marks the official start of the main construction project for the unit and the full commencement of construction of the pair of third-generation nuclear units at the Guangdong Lufeng nuclear power plant,” CGN said in a press release.

A total of four CAP1000 units (Lufeng 1–4) and two Hualong One units (Lufeng 5–6) are planned for the plant. CGN began construction of the fifth unit in September 2022, followed by the sixth in August 2023. Under current plans, engineers are due to bring the units online in 2028 and 2029.

Once completed, the plant will have total installed capacity of 6.6 GW and, according to CGN, will generate around 52 TWh of zero-emission electricity annually.

Delays in construction approval

The first four units of the Lufeng nuclear power plant in Guangdong province received initial approval from the authorities as early as 2014. However, the State Council did not approve the first two units until ten years later, in August last year, while the other two are still awaiting approval.

In the meantime, in April 2022, the State Council approved construction of the fifth and sixth units, which therefore got ahead of the first four.