China has signed a contract for the construction of the nuclear islands for three reactors at the Xuwei NPP in Jiangsu province. The project, located near China National Nuclear Corporation’s (CNNC’s) Tianwan NPP, will supply both industrial heating and electricity by combining a Generation IV high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) with two third-generation Hualong One pressurised water reactors.
Xuwei Phase I was approved by China’s State Council in August 2024. Phase I involves the construction of two 1208 MWe Hualong One PWR units and one 660 MWe HTGR unit, complemented by a steam heat exchange station. It will pioneer a heat-led power operation concept, where Hualong One primary steam first heats demineralised water to produce saturated steam, which is then superheated by HTGR primary steam. The facility is designed to provide high quality steam and generate electricity within its operating specifications.
The contract, worth CNY4.2bn ($594m), was awarded to a joint group of companies, China Energy Engineering Jiangsu Electric Power Construction No 3 Company and China National Nuclear Huachen Construction Engineering Company. They will build the nuclear islands, their auxiliary systems and part of the equipment for the balance of the station.
The owner of the project is CNNC Suneng Nuclear Power Company, which is responsible for the investment, construction and operation of the station. Once operational, the Xuwei project will supply up to 32.5m tonnes of industrial steam and more than 11.5bn kWh of electricity annually. This will reduce consumption of standard coal by 7.26m tonnes and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 19.6m tonnes a year.
