Photos: Mammoth 1,100-ton, 900-ton steel domes installed at Chinese nuclear reactors

This week, China achieved significant progress in its nuclear energy infrastructure with the successful installation of massive steel domes at two separate nuclear power plants. At the Haiyang plant in Shandong province, the State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) completed the hoisting of the nearly 1,000-ton outer steel dome for Unit 4, a conical structure measuring 41 meters in diameter and 11 meters in height. This dome supports the passive containment cooling water storage tank, a critical component for the plant’s safety systems. Meanwhile, at the Xudabao plant in Liaoning province, the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) hoisted the 820-ton inner containment dome for Unit 1, a semi-ellipsoidal structure made of 64 curved steel plates with a diameter of nearly 40 meters. Notably, fire sprinklers and ventilation systems were pre-installed on the dome before hoisting to enhance construction efficiency and safety. Both plants utilize the CAP1000 reactor design,