Background: The AP1000 reactor, explained
Current state
| Status | Under construction |
| Design | CAP1000 (PWR) |
| Net capacity | 1,150 MWe |
| Country | China |
| Vendor | SPIC (CAP1000) |
| Owner / operator | CNNC & Datang |
| Construction start | 2023-11 |
| Original COD target | — |
| Current COD estimate | 2028 |
| Schedule slippage | — |
Notes
Verified 2026-09-28: RPV Jul 2025 (WNN/CNNC), inner dome Feb 2026 (NucNet/CNEA), outer dome Aug 2026 (WNN/CNNC + NEI). Full-scope simulator for units 1&2 commissioned Aug 2026 (WNN, operator-single-source) — noted, not asserted. 2028 grid per WNA table.
Milestone log
- 2026-06-16 — Listed as under construction in the WNA world table, grid connection estimated 2028 (source)
- 2025-07-13 — Reactor pressure vessel installed at unit 1 (CAP1000), marking shift from civil construction to equipment installation (source)
- 2026-02 — Steel containment dome installed for Xudapu-1 (780-tonne dome) (source)
- 2026-08-28 — Outer containment dome installed (CNNC); large steel-structure modules of the unit near completion, nuclear-island structural completion next (source)
The milestone log is append-only: corrections are recorded as new entries, never rewrites. Full history via /api/v1/changes.
NNN coverage
On the CAP1000 design
- The 7 nuclear stories that mattered this week 2026-10-03
- Bailong 2 enters construction with first nuclear-island concrete 2026-09-28
- Haiyang-3 completes hot functional testing 2026-08-17
- China approves eight reactors across four nuclear projects 2026-08-03
- China General Nuclear installs reactor vessel at Lufeng unit 1 2026-07-15
Sources
- https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/plans-for-new-reactors-worldwide
- https://pris.iaea.org/pris/
- https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/reactor-vessel-installed-at-xudabao-1
- https://www.nucnet.org/news/steel-dome-installed-for-china-s-xudapu-1-cap1000-nuclear-plant-2-1-2026
- https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articles/outer-dome-hoisted-at-xudabao-unit-1