First concrete has been poured for the nuclear island of the Haiyang-4 nuclear power plant in Shandong province, eastern China, marking the official start of construction of the second of two reactors planned as Phase II of the station.
Construction of the CAP1000 pressurised water reactor unit means there are now 20 commercial nuclear power plants being built in China.
The official International Atomic Energy Agency figure is 19, but this does not include Haiyang-4 and two CAP1000 plants at Lianjiang in Guangdong province, southern China.
Recent reports in China said preparatory work – which precedes the more formal construction landmark of first concrete – had begun on the first phase of the foundation pit for the Lianjiang-2 nuclear island. Similar work began for Liangjiang-1 in September 2022, the reports said.
The China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA) said China is leading the world in the number of nuclear power units under construction.