Nuclear island installation work starts at San'ao 1

Friday, 20 May 2022

On 2 September 2020, the executive meeting of the State Council approved the construction of units 1 and 2 as the first phase of the six-unit San'ao plant. China's National Nuclear Safety Administration issued a construction permit for the two Hualong One units on 30 December that year and first concrete for unit 1 was poured the following day. Construction of unit 2 began on 30 December 2021.

"At present, the hoisting of steel lining cylinder 6 of unit 1 and the hoisting of steel lining module 1 of unit 2 have been successfully completed," CGN said.

The company said the start of the installation of the nuclear island of unit 1 is an important milestone in nuclear power construction.

CGN Cangnan Nuclear Power Company Deputy General Manager Liu Jianyi noted that the nuclear island installation project is a "highly comprehensive and complex system project, with many process systems, complex construction technology, strict quality control, high safety level, special inspection and experimental methods, and involves nuclear-grade equipment and large-scale hoisting."

San'ao 1 and 2 are scheduled to begin supplying electricity in 2026 and 2027, respectively.

Once all six units at San'ao are put into commercial operation, the annual power generation capacity will reach 52.5 billion kWh, which will exceed the annual power consumption of Wenzhou in 2020, CGN noted. The plant could reduce standard coal consumption by over 16 million tonnes and carbon dioxide emissions by 43.36 million tonnes per year, it added.

The San'ao project marks the first Chinese nuclear power project involving private capital, with Geely Technology Group taking a 2% stake in the plant. CGN holds 46% of the shares of the project company Cangnan Nuclear Power, with other state-owned enterprises holding the remainder.