On the evening of September 27, 2026, the sea breeze of Beibu Gulf swept over the southernmost part of Jiangshan Peninsula in Fangchenggang City. At 18:27, with the on-site instructions issued, the first tank of concrete was slowly injected into the foundation pit of Unit 2's nuclear island along the pump pipe. This can of concrete has fallen, and the first phase of the Bailong Nuclear Power Project has shifted from single unit construction to a new stage of comprehensive construction of dual units.

From one to two

Going back in time to 2003, the site selection for Bailong Nuclear Power Plant was initiated, and it took 22 years from the drawings to pouring. In December 2025, Unit 1 will achieve the first concrete pouring of the nuclear island, and SPIC's first nuclear power project in Guangxi will enter the main construction phase; In August 2026, the conventional island of Unit 2 has been poured first. Now the nuclear island is approaching a new milestone, and the construction pace of the two units is fully aligned.

The Bailong Nuclear Power Project is the first nuclear power plant developed by SPIC in the western region, and also a landmark project for the construction of a national comprehensive energy security zone in Guangxi. The project plans to construct 2 CAP1000 nuclear power units and 4 Guohe No.1 units, with a total installed capacity of approximately 8.5 million kilowatts and a total investment of approximately 120 billion yuan. It will be planned in one go and implemented in stages. Both Unit 1 and Unit 2 of the Phase I project adopt CAP1000 third-generation passive nuclear power technology, with a single unit capacity of 1.25 million kilowatts. Unit 1 has entered the construction and installation phase and is expected to be completed and put into operation by 2030.

Struggling with temperature

This pouring was not easy. The nuclear island of Unit 2 adopts a single-sided continuous one-time integral pouring method, with a planned pouring of about 6637 cubic meters of concrete and a planned pouring time of about 58 hours. The size of the bottom plate is large, the shape is irregular, and the difficulty of temperature control and maintenance is high, with multiple difficulties overlapping.

The project team prepares a special construction plan in advance: optimizes the single-sided pushing pouring path and process parameters, and the owner, supervisor, and general contractor monitor and control the entire process; Temperature control from the source, using low heat cement, raw material cooling, strict control of mold temperature, and coupled with an intelligent temperature measurement system to monitor temperature differences in real time; The maintenance process uses a combination of film covering moisturizing and dynamic temperature control technology to enhance the crack resistance of concrete. Relying on the intelligent engineering platform for overall scheduling, personnel work in shifts to ensure smooth and orderly progress of continuous pouring.

A green ledger

After the completion and operation of the first phase of the project, the annual power generation will be about 20 billion kilowatt hours, which can reduce the consumption of standard coal by about 6 million tons per year, reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 16 million tons, sulfur dioxide emissions by about 52000 tons, and nitrogen oxides emissions by about 45000 tons. The emission reduction effect is equivalent to planting about 44000 hectares of broad-leaved forests.keywords:New energy information network

Guangxi is rich in scenic resources but experiences fluctuations, with stable nuclear power output that is not affected by seasons, which perfectly complements this puzzle. The Bailong Nuclear Power Plant, located along the Western Land Sea New Corridor, will provide stable and clean power support for the industries and people's livelihoods in the Beibu Gulf port area, and play a positive role in optimizing Guangxi's energy structure and promoting energy conservation and emission reduction. Starting from a can of concrete, a zero carbon power station facing the sea is accelerating its growth.Editor/Yang Meiling