The Sanmen plant, already home to two AP1000s (Image: CNNP)

The construction of Phase II (units 3 and 4) of the Sanmen plant in Zhejiang province and units 3 and 4 of the Haiyang plant in Shandong province was approved by China's State Council on 20 April. Approval was also given for the construction of units 5 and 6 of the Lufeng plant in Guangdong province.

The Sanmen and Haiyang plants are already home to two Westinghouse AP1000 units each, and two CAP1000 units - the Chinese version of the AP1000 - have been approved for Phase II of each plant.

China Nuclear Industry 22 Construction Company (CNI22) has now been contracted to carry out the civil construction of the Sanmen Phase II nuclear island, while China Nuclear Industry 24 Construction Company (CNI24) will conduct the civil construction of the Haiyang Phase II nuclear island. Meanwhile, China Nuclear Industry Fifth Construction Company (CNI5) has been contracted to undertake the nuclear island installation work at all four units.

CNI5, CNI22 and CNI24 are all subsidiaries of China Nuclear Engineering and Construction Corporation, which is itself a division of CNNC.