Sanmen nuclear power plant 1-2
Gross capacity
1,251MW
Sanmen nuclear power plant 1-2 is a pressurised water reactor unit at Sanmen nuclear power plant in China rated at 1,251 MW gross. It is operating. Commercial operation began 5 Nov 2018.
Specification
| Reactor type | Pressurised water reactor (PWR) |
|---|---|
| Model | AP-1000 |
| Size class | Large |
| Coolant | Light water |
| Moderator | Light water |
| Gross capacity | 1,251MW |
| Net capacity (reference) | 1,157MW |
| Net capacity (design) | 1,157MW |
| Thermal output | 3,400MWt |
| Typical enrichment | 3–5% U-235 |
Ownership & location
| Site | Sanmen nuclear power plant |
|---|---|
| Unit | 1-2 |
| Country | China |
| Owner | China National Nuclear Power Co Ltd100% |
| Operator | Sanmen Nuclear Power |
| Coordinates | 29.1019, 121.6390 |
Fuel chain for this unit
Fuel form
Uranium dioxide pellets in zirconium-alloy cladding
Enrichment
3–5% U-235
Who makes this assembly
- China National Nuclear Corporation PWR fuel assemblies
- ENUSA Industrias Avanzadas PWR and BWR fuel assemblies
- Framatome PWR fuel assemblies
- KEPCO Nuclear Fuel PWR fuel assemblies
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries PWR fuel assemblies
- Westinghouse Electric Company PWR fuel assemblies
Upstream
Enriched fuel means this unit sits downstream of five conversion plants and four enrichment operators holding 88% of world capacity between the top three.
Fabricator capability is recorded against reactor type and model line, not against named units —
utilities do not publish fuel contracts. See the fuel chain.
Timeline
- 1 Dec 2009Construction start
- 17 Aug 2018First criticality
- 24 Aug 2018Grid connection
- 5 Nov 2018Commercial operation
Other units at Sanmen nuclear power plant
| Unit | Status | Gross MW |
|---|---|---|
| Sanmen nuclear power plant 1-1 | 1,251 | |
| Sanmen nuclear power plant 2-3 | Under construction | 1,251 |
| Sanmen nuclear power plant 2-4 | Under construction | 1,251 |
| Sanmen nuclear power plant 3-5 | Pre-construction | 1,200 |
| Sanmen nuclear power plant 3-6 | Pre-construction | 1,200 |
Other AP-1000 units
117 units worldwide share this model designation.
| Unit | Country | Status | Gross MW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alvin W Vogtle nuclear power plant 3 | United States | 1,250 | |
| Alvin W Vogtle nuclear power plant 4 | United States | 1,250 | |
| Haiyang nuclear power plant 1-1 | China | 1,250 | |
| Haiyang nuclear power plant 1-2 | China | 1,250 | |
| Sanmen nuclear power plant 1-1 | China | 1,251 | |
| Anhui Wuhu nuclear power plant 1-1 | China | Cancelled | 1,250 |
| Anhui Wuhu nuclear power plant 1-2 | China | Cancelled | 1,250 |
| Anhui Wuhu nuclear power plant 2-3 | China | Cancelled | 1,250 |
| Anhui Wuhu nuclear power plant 2-4 | China | Cancelled | 1,250 |
| Bellefonte nuclear power plant 3 | United States | Cancelled | 1,117 |
| Bellefonte nuclear power plant 4 | United States | Cancelled | 1,117 |
| Blue Castle nuclear power plant Original 1 | United States | Cancelled | 1,250 |
Sources
- Global Nuclear Power Tracker, Global Energy Monitor, August 2026 release — CC BY 4.0 · retrieved 2026-09-06 · this unit last researched by GEM on 2024-05-07
- GEM.wiki entry (further reading) — CC BY-SA 4.0 — linked, not quoted