China Approves Eight Nuclear Power Units, Hualong One Technology Gains Wider Deployment

The State Council executive meeting on July 31 decided to approve a total of eight units across four projects: Zhejiang Jinqimen Phase II, Guangdong Taipingling Phase III, Liaoning Zhuanghe Phase I, and Shandong Laiyang Phase I. The meeting emphasized that nuclear units must be built and operated in accordance with the highest global safety standards, with full-chain and full-domain safety supervision to ensure absolute nuclear safety.

Six units from the Zhejiang Jinqimen Phase II, Guangdong Taipingling Phase III, and Liaoning Zhuanghe Phase I projects all adopt Hualong One nuclear technology. Among them, Zhejiang Jinqimen Phase II and Guangdong Taipingling Phase III have been designated as Hualong One 2.0 demonstration projects. Hualong One is a million-kilowatt-class third-generation pressurized water reactor technology with fully independent intellectual property rights, developed from over 40 years of experience in nuclear R&D, design, manufacturing, construction, and operation. The Hualong One 2.0 version is a 'third-generation plus' advanced pressurized water reactor technology that incorporates feedback from construction and operation. It adopts Chinese standards, independent software, and optimized active and passive safety systems, and uses advanced technologies in intelligent control and modular construction, significantly reducing engineering workload while comprehensively improving safety, advancedness, and economic efficiency.

As of now, a total of 10 Hualong One units are in commercial operation domestically and internationally, with another 37 units approved and under construction. The total number of units ranks first among third-generation nuclear reactors globally. A single Hualong One unit is designed to generate nearly 10 billion kWh of electricity annually, enough to meet the production and living needs of a medium-sized city with a population of over one million for a year. This is equivalent to saving more than 3 million tonnes of standard coal consumption and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by more than 9 million tonnes per year. The development and construction of Hualong One has driven nearly 6,000 upstream and downstream companies to form a complete industrial chain supply system.