China has officially commenced the construction process for Unit 1's nuclear island as part of the Xuwei Nuclear Heating and Power Project Phase I in Jiangsu province, with the pouring of the first concrete. The project stands as the world's first large-scale hybrid nuclear facility designed to directly supply industrial steam to the petrochemical industry, in addition to generating electricity, thereby not limiting nuclear energy solely to power production.
Developed by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), the facility is also notable as the first nuclear energy project initiated during China's 15th Five-Year Development Plan period.
Third and Fourth Generation Reactors in a Single Facility
The Xuwei project distinguishes itself from existing nuclear power plants with its technical structure. The facility integrates two third-generation Hualong One pressurized water reactors (PWRs) with a net capacity of 1208 MWe each, and a 660 MWe fourth-generation high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) within the same system. Xuwei Phase I, which was among the 11 nuclear reactor projects approved by the Chinese State Council in August 2024, is described as a global first with this architecture.
CNNC describes the project as the world's first dual-linked project combining third-generation nuclear PWR with fourth-generation nuclear HTGR. The facility will also feature a steam heat exchange station that will adopt a heat-to-electricity operating mode for the first time.
Industrial steam production at the facility, built in close proximity to the existing Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant, will be carried out through a two-stage system. Demineralized water will be heated by primary steam from the Hualong One units to produce saturated steam. This saturated steam will then be reheated a second time with primary steam from the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, reaching the high temperatures required for heavy industrial processes such as chemical cracking and distillation.
This structure aims to replace the intensive heat demand of petrochemical refineries, currently met by fossil fuels, with a nuclear-sourced, low-carbon alternative.
The Xuwei Nuclear Facility is located adjacent to the Lianyungang petrochemical base, one of China's largest petrochemical hubs. The region has an hourly steam demand of approximately 13,000 tons. Replacing existing coal-fired systems with nuclear steam will significantly reduce environmental impact.
Radical Reduction in Carbon Emissions
When the project is completed and operational, the facility is expected to provide 32.5 million tons of industrial steam annually and generate over 11.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. This capacity will save 7.26 million tons of coal each year and prevent 19.6 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. According to experts, nuclear-sourced steam offers a solution approximately 600 times cleaner than coal-produced steam and 100 times cleaner than natural gas in terms of emissions.
Furthermore, to ensure the safe operation of two different reactor technologies within the same facility, the project team designed the control logic using hierarchical digital simulations. These simulations allowed complex operating scenarios to be modeled during the construction phase.
On-site physical construction is being accelerated with smart automation systems. Laser-guided tracking technologies enhance precision in automatic welding processes, while robotic Metal Active Gas (MAG) welding systems provide three times higher efficiency compared to manual methods.
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