Construction of containment completed for Taipingling 1

The Hualong One design features a double-layered containment structure. The main function of the containment building is to ensure the integrity and leak tightness of the reactor building, and it plays a key role in the containment of radioactive substances.

The inner steel safety dome - measuring 45 metres in diameter and almost 14 metres in height, and weighing about 225 tonnes - was installed at Taipingling 1 in December 2021.

CGN noted the outer containment of Taipingling unit 1 comprises three parts: the cylinder structure, the external water tank and the hemispherical dome structure.

The outer dome - measuring 55 metres in diameter, 13 metres in height and weighing about 420 tonnes - was subsequently installed over the inner one.

The company has now announced that the concreting of the outer dome was completed on May 30. "This pouring is to cap the hemispherical dome structure, which will further improve the safety and sealing of the unit after completion," it said.

"At present, the construction of the Taipingling nuclear power project is progressing steadily," CGN said, adding that unit 1 was in the critical stage before the hot functional test, and unit 2 at the peak of installation. The two units of the first phase of the project are expected to be put into operation and generate electricity in 2025.

The Taipingling plant will eventually have six Hualong One reactors. The construction of the first and second units began in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Construction of the second phase of the plant - units 3 and 4 - was approved by China's State Council on 29 December 2023.

CGN has constructed two demonstration Hualong One units as units 3 and 4 of its Fangchenggang plant in the Guangxi Autonomous Region. Unit 3 entered commercial operation on 25 March last year, whilst unit 4 started commercial operation last month.