Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has secured an order to deliver four circulating water pumps (CWPs) for Units 5 and 6 of the Sanmen nuclear power plant in China, in collaboration with Dongfang Electric Machinery (DFEM).

The contract marks the first collaboration between MHI and DFEM aimed at expanding their nuclear power plant business in China by providing CWPs.

The initiative is part of MHI's global strategy to build strategic partnerships and deliver its technologies, products and services to a broader customer base.

The Sanmen nuclear power plant is situated in Sanmen County, Taizhou City, in Zhejiang Province, southeastern China.

The plant is undergoing expansion with the construction of Units 5 and 6. Units 1 and 2 are currently operational and 3 and 4 are under construction.

The new units will feature a Hualong One/HPR1000 reactor - a pressurised water reactor (PWR) with a capacity of 1,215MW.

MHI’s CWPs will play an essential role within PWRs' condensate systems by cooling steam from turbines and converting it back into water.

This process needs a very large-sized CWP to obtain water from the water source and supply it to the condenser.

With more than 500 CWPs already supplied globally, MHI has a strong track record in this market segment.

In April 2025, China authorised the construction of ten new nuclear reactors - the fourth consecutive year it has approved at least this number.

The country currently has 30 reactors under construction, almost half the global total.

By 2030, China is projected to surpass the US as the world's leading producer of nuclear power.