• Domes hoisted at Chinese CAP1000 units State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) said the outer steel dome of the nuclear island of unit 4 of the Haiyang plant in Shandong province was hoisted into place on 9 February. • The steel dome module is an important component of the shielded building, situated on top of a steel-concrete composite structure, and supporting the passive containment cooling water storage tank. • The steel dome is conical in shape, consisting of 32 radial main beams, three ring beams, 96 steel cladding panels, and three steel platforms connected at the bottom. • It has a diameter of about 41 metres, a height of about 11 metres, and a total lifting weight of nearly 1,000 tonnes. • The installation of the outer dome marks “the basic completion of the main structure of the nuclear island plant and lays an important foundation for the project to fully enter the equipment installation and system commissioning phase”, it said. • (Image: SPIC) The CAP1000 reactor design - the Chinese version of the Westinghouse AP1000 - uses modular construction techniques, enabling large structural modules to be built at factories and then installed at the site.
Article Summaries:
- State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) announced that the outer steel dome of the nuclear island at Haiyang unit 4 (Shandong) was hoisted on 9 February, completing the main structure of the CAP1000 reactor and enabling the plant to enter the equipment‑installation and commissioning phase. The 41‑metre, 1,000‑tonne conical dome supports the passive containment cooling tank. On 10 February, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) hoisted the inner containment top head at Xudabao unit 1 (Liaoning), marking the shift from civil engineering to installation work. Both milestones advance the construction of the two CAP1000 reactors, slated for operation in 2027.
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