China: Changjiang 3 containment building completed

China National Nuclear Corporation announced the completion of the containment building at unit 3 of the Changjiang nuclear plant in Hainan province. Now, the work at the plant will move to a new stage to reach the goal of commissioning in 2027. First building operations for the base slab of unit 3 started in 2021, and those for the base slab of unit 4 started in late 2024. The steel dome for unit 3’s inner containment was placed on top of the walls of the double containment structure in February 2023. The outer steel dome should be put on the top of the containment building later this year. Cool hydrostatic tests, which are carried out to confirm whether components and systems important to safety are properly installed and ready to operate in a cold condition, were completed this April. They will soon be followed by hot functional tests to ensure that coolant circuits and safety systems operate normally under increasing temperatures.
The Changjiang nuclear plant already hosts two pressurised water reactors (PWRs), which started operating in 2015 and 2016. The construction of units 3 and 4 should increase the capacity of the station and represents a total estimated investment of CNY40 billion (USD6.4 billion), according to China Huaneng, which holds a 51% share in the project. The construction period should last 60 months, with the two new reactors achieving full operational status in the first half of 2027.