South Korean clean energy equipment manufacturer Doosan Enerbility has strengthened its presence in the Chinese nuclear sector by securing a follow-up manufacturing contract. Under a new agreement with Dongfang Electric International and Dongfang Heavy Machinery, the company will supply core forgings for the steam generators at units 5&6 of the Laiyang NPP in Shandong Province. Laiyang 5&6 will feature China’s next-generation CAP1400 reactor design.
The contract is for eight ultra-large forgings, specifically four channel heads and four tube sheets for steam generators. The components will be manufactured and delivered sequentially through 2029. Each forged product measures approximately 5 metres in diameter and weighs up to 130 tonnes. They will be manufactured using Doosan’s 17,000-tonne forging press, which is one of the world’s largest operating presses
The channel head is a lower forging that serves as the passage through which reactor coolant flows into and out of the steam generator. The tube sheet is a key steam generator forging that supports thousands of heat transfer tubes and separates the reactor coolant from the secondary-side water.
The contract expands Doosan Enerbility’s manufacturing momentum at the Laiyang site, directly following a previous order to supply identical steam generator forgings for Laiyang 3&4. Chinese state energy planners have confidence in Doosan, given its earlier delivery of heavy steam generator forgings for the Haiyang NPP AP1000 nuclear project, also in Shandong. China’s long-term energy strategy seeks to expand domestic reactor fleets and secure partnerships within the global nuclear supply chain.
The Laiyang NPP is a major, multi-phase greenfield nuclear development. It represents a shift from China’s coastal-only nuclear strategy toward high-capacity inland installations using fully domestic third-generation reactor technology. It is located in Tuanwang, Laiyang City, within the Yantai prefecture of Shandong Province. The project is being developed by State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) via its localised subsidiary, State Power Investment Laiyang Nuclear Energy.
It is planned as a six-unit mega-facility split into three execution phases. Every unit will deploy the CAP1400 (also branded as Guohe-One), a pressurised water reactor design capable of producing approximately 1,543 MWe. The facility is mapped out into three distinct, sequential development phases: Phase 1 (units 1&2) – initial site establishment and foundation groundworks; Phase 2 (units 3&4) – intermediate expansion phase; and Phase 3 (units 5&6).
Because of the CAP1400’s increased reactor power output, it demands massive components. The turbines and generators are manufactured domestically by subsidiaries under the Dongfang Electric Group umbrella. Ultra-large forgings are subcontracted to Doosan Enerbility.
Doosan Enerbility President Kim Jong-du said, “With the contract to supply core materials for units 5 and 6 following units 3 and 4 at Laiyang, Doosan Enerbility’s technological strength and quality competitiveness have once again been recognised in the Chinese nuclear market, which is meaningful….We will continue to strengthen our competitiveness in the global nuclear supply chain based on our accumulated manufacturing experience and ultra-large forging technology.”
