First concrete has been poured for unit 3 of China’s San’ao NPP under construction in Zhejiang Province. This will be the third of six HPR1000 (Hualong One) reactors planned at the site. Construction of the second phase (units 3&4) of the San’ao NPP was approved by the State Council in August 2024.
Following an on-site inspection of the preparatory work for unit 3, the National Nuclear Safety Authority (NNSA) issued a construction permit allowing first concrete to be poured for the nuclear island of unit.
According to a statement from Zhejiang Cangnan Nuclear Power Company (a subsidiary of China General Nuclear Corporation – CGN), the total volume of concrete poured will be approximately 8,820 cubic metres, excluding reinforcing steel.
Construction of units 1&2 was approved by the State Council in September 2020 as phase one of the project. First concrete for unit 1 was poured the next day. The first concrete for unit 2 was poured in December 2021. Operation of units 1&2 is scheduled to begin in 2026 and 2027.
Once completed the NPP will provide more than 54 TWh of electricity a year to Zhejiang Province and the Yangtze River Delta region, reducing standard coal consumption by over 16m tonnes and carbon dioxide emissions by over 51m tonnes a year.
San’ao NPP is the first Chinese nuclear project involving private capital, with Geely Technology Group taking a 2% stake in the plant. CGN holds 46% of the shares of project company Cangnan Nuclear Power, with other state-owned enterprises holding the remainder.
