The giant CA20 structural module of Bailong nuclear power plant’s unit 1 has been lifted into place – and the first steam generator moved into position at Lufeng nuclear power plant’s unit 6.

The construction of Phase I (units 1 and 2) of the Bailong plant in China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region was among approvals for 11 new reactors granted by China’s State Council in August 2024. State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) plans to build two CAP1000 pressurised water reactors – the Chinese version of the Westinghouse AP1000 – as the first phase of the plant. An investment of about CNY40 billion (USD5.6 billion) is planned for the two units, which are expected to take 56 months to construct.

Excavation work for the foundation pit began in late December 2024. SPIC subsidiary Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research & Design Institute (SNERDI) – joint general contractor for the project – announced it poured the first concrete on 22 December 2025 for the basemat of the nuclear island at Bailong unit 1. The company said a total of a 6,662 cubic metres of concrete was poured in a process lasting just over 64 hours.

Located on Jiangshan Peninsula in Fangchenggang City, Guangxi Province, the Bailong plant is planned to have six units, with a total installed capacity of 8.62 GWe and a total investment of approximately CNY120 billion. The first phase of the project adopts the CAP1000 design, with each unit having a capacity of 1.25 million kilowatts. Four CAP1400 reactors are also proposed to be built at the site – located about 24 kilometres from the border with Vietnam and about 30 kilometres southwest of China General Nuclear’s Fangchenggang nuclear power plant – in later phases.

After the first phase of the project is completed and put into operation, it is expected to generate about 20 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, which is equivalent to reducing standard coal consumption by about 6 million tonnes and carbon dioxide emissions by about 16 million tonnes per year.

The cuboid-shaped CA20 module is about 21 metres long, 14 metres wide and about 21 metres tall, with a lifting weight of about 1,064 tonnes. It consists of 32 wall modules and 39 floor modules. It will comprise plant and equipment for used fuel storage, transmission, the heat exchanger and waste collection, among other things.

Guangxi Nuclear Power said that after strict quality inspections, the CA20 structural module completed the on-site transportation on 17 March, with the lifting operation beginning at 08:57 on 18 March and lasting two hours and ten minutes.

It added that the successful process had accumulated valuable experience for subsequent modular construction.

Lufeng

The Lufeng plant – located in Jieshi Town, Lufeng City, Guangdong Province – is planned to eventually have six 1,000-megawatt pressurised water reactor units.

_{(Image: CNNC)}

In April 2022 the State Council approved construction of two HPR1000 (Hualong One) units at Lufeng as units 5 and 6. First concrete was poured for unit 5 on 8 September 2022 and that for unit 6 on 26 August 2023.

 

China Nuclear Construction Corporation said that the first steam generator – the heaviest and largest core equipment in the nuclear island – was hoisted into place in unit 6 at 17:18 on 17 March.

 

The team had worked with experts to learn from the successful experience with unit 5, it said and were “rigorous and meticulous” throughout the process of moving the steam generator and flipping and hoisting it into place.

 

“The smooth hoisting of the first steam generator is not only an important milestone in the construction of unit 6, but also accumulates valuable experience,” it added, for future construction.