Earthworks for the development of a pit for a reactor building have started at the site of unit 1 of China’s Bailong NPP in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Completion is expected at the end of March 2025.
Bailong is a new Chinese site. The first phase of the station will consist of two units with CAP-1000 reactors while four larger CAP-1400 reactors will be selected for later phases.
China’s State Council approved construction of Phase I (units 1&2 in August 2023. State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) plans to build two CAP1000 pressurised water reactors – the Chinese version of the Westinghouse AP1000 – as the first phase at a cost of CNY40bn ($5.6bn).
SPIC subsidiary Guangxi Nuclear Power Company Ltd noted that “vertical slope” construction technology – which involves “supporting first and then excavating” – will be used for the excavation of the unit 1 foundation pit. A total of 137 cast-in-place piles of the foundation pit retaining structure were completed in late November and negative excavation began on 30 December.
Removal of about 66,000 cubic metres of earth will be required to form the foundation pit, which will eventually be 12.2 metres deep and cover an area of about 3000 square metres. This is scheduled to be completed by the end of March.
