A contract has been awarded for the construction of the conventional islands of the three reactors that will comprise the first phase of the Xuwei nuclear power project in China. The project will be equipped with a steam heat exchange station, which will adopt the heat-to-electricity operation mode for the first time. CNNC describes the project as "world's first dual-coupling demonstration project combining a third-generation nuclear PWR and a fourth-generation nuclear HTGR". A contract for the construction of the conventional islands of the three units has now been awarded to a consortium formed by China Energy Engineering Jiangsu Electric Power Construction No.3 Company and China National Nuclear Huachen Construction Engineering Company. CNNC Suneng Nuclear Power Company, is the CNNC subsidiary which is the owner of the Xuwei project and responsible for project investment, construction and operation management.