By Energy People. Compiled with AI assistance from linked sources.
Construction of the nuclear island at Sanao Unit 4 in Zhejiang, China, began on 10 November, according to developer China General Nuclear. The first concrete pour started at 08:28 local time.
CGN says the milestone puts the project’s second phase into full construction. Unit 4 uses Hualong One technology and received state approval in August 2024.
A construction milestone, with generation still ahead
The company planned approximately 8,820 cubic metres of concrete for the initial pour over an estimated 60 hours. Those figures describe the planned operation; the announcement does not confirm its completion.
CGN forecasts annual generation of about nine billion kilowatt-hours once Unit 4 is built. Sanao is planned as six units across three phases, with four approved so far. The developer reports that Unit 1 is operating, Unit 2 has completed its initial fuel loading and Unit 3 remains under construction.
The latest milestone advances civil works and the associated construction supply chain. It is not a commissioning or commercial-generation announcement.
Source: CGN announcement (Chinese), dated 10 November; page published 11 November 2026.
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Image credit: Illustrative Chinese nuclear-sector file photograph of Haiyang Units 1 and 2 in Shandong, 3 October 2024. These are different reactors at a different plant; the photograph does not show Sanao or its concrete pour. WPTO / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and compressed; licence retained.
