The 270-tonne containment building outer dome has been lifted into place at unit 5 of China General Nuclear Power Group’s Ningde NPP in Fujian province. The lifting and installation process for the 45-metre-diameter dome took a total of two hours and forty-five minutes.
The dome is a hemispherical hyperboloid shell structure, precisely assembled from main steel plates, angle steel keels, studs, and various internal supporting components. A large crawler crane was used for the installation.
Ningde NPP was the first nuclear plant to be built and put into operation in Fujian province. The station currently consists of four 1,018 MWe CPR1000 power units, which began commercial operation between April 2013 and July 2016.
The second phase, units 5&6, was approved by the State Council in July 2023, and features Chinese-designed HPR1000 (Hualong One) pressurised water reactors. First concrete for the unit 5 nuclear island was poured in July 2024.
“The nuclear island dome is the core safety barrier of the reactor building, bearing the crucial mission of ensuring the structural integrity, airtightness, and radioactive containment of the reactor building,” CGN said.
