Construction of second Jinqimen unit begins

The construction of two 1200 MWe Hualong One reactors as Phase I of the Jinqimen plant was approved by China's State Council at a meeting on 29 December 2023. A ground-breaking ceremony was held in February 2024 to mark the start of work on the units.

China's National Nuclear Safety Administration issued a construction licence on 5 August for units 1 and 2 at the Jinqimen plant. First concrete for the foundation of the reactor building of the first unit was poured on 10 August last year, marking the official start of construction of the unit.

_{(Image: CNNC)}

China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has now announced that first concrete for unit 2 was poured on 4 April.

CNNC subsidiary CNNC Zhejiang Energy Co Ltd is responsible for project investment, construction and operations management of the new plant, which will eventually house six Hualong One units. Another CNNC subsidiary, China Nuclear Engineering & Construction Corporation, is responsible for the construction of the nuclear island, conventional island, and key facilities of the Jinqimen nuclear power project.

_{(Image: CNNC)}

Once all six units have been completed, the total installed capacity of the Jinqimen plant will be about 7.2 GWe, and the annual grid-connected electricity will be some 55 TWh, which according to CNNC is equivalent to half of Ningbo's total electricity consumption in 2024. The plant, it said, will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 45 million tonnes. "This will provide strong support for energy and power supply and green and low-carbon transformation in Zhejiang Province and the Yangtze River Delta region," the company said.

Following the pouring of first concrete for Jinqimen unit 2, the number of nuclear power units under construction controlled by CNNC has reached 14, with an installed capacity of 16.363 GWe. The Jinqimen plant is the company's third nuclear power base in Zhejiang Province.