The dome has been hoisted into place on the reactor building of unit 4 at China’s Xudabao NPP in Liaoning province. China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said a single stage process was used. The process has only been used once before – at Xudabao 3.
Installing the structure – with a diameter of 44 metres and a height of 22 metres – took just over three-and-a-half hours. The dome hoisting included the steel lining structure and support cage, all penetrations, reinforcement plates, internal steel structures, equipment supports and hangers, spray systems, lighting systems, hydrogen removal devices, heat exchanger equipment, detection equipment and other equipment, with a total weight of 655 tonnes.
“Unlike the traditional installation of the dome in two stages, the one-stage lifting technology significantly streamlines the process and reduces the time of this work,” said Alexei Bannik, Vice President for Projects in China & Advanced Projects at Russia’s Atomstroyexport. “The dome pre-assembled on the ground was lifted by crane on the reactor building.”
Xudabao 3&4 with VVER-1200 reactors. Rosatom is designing the nuclear island, supplying key equipment, as well as providing field supervision, installation supervision, and commissioning services for the supplied equipment. Turbine generators and balance of plant will be supplied by China. Construction of Xudabao 3 began in July 2021, and unit 4 in May 2022. The two units are scheduled to be commissioned in 2027 and 2028.
The Xudabao project was originally expected to comprise six CAP1000 reactors – the Chinese version of the Westinghouse AP1000 – with units 1 and 2 in the first phase. However, plans changed and two VVER-1200 reactors were designated for Xudabao 3&4. Two CAP1000 reactors are planned for Xudabao 1&2. Construction of unit 1 began in November 2023.
The Xudabao plant is owned by Liaoning Nuclear Power Company Limited, a joint venture between CNNC (70%), Datang International Power Generation Company (20%) and State Development and Investment Corporation (10%).
