World's First Hualong One Nuclear Reactor Goes into Commercial Operation

The world's first Hualong One reactor at the No. 5 unit of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC)'s Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant in Southeast China's Fujian Province went into commercial operation on Jan 30, 2021.

An iconic achievement of China's nuclear power development, its commercial operation makes China the world's fourth country to master its indigenous third-generation nuclear power technology after the United States, France and Russia.

The Hualong One is China's third-generation nuclear power technology with completely independent intellectual property rights.

Developed, designed, manufactured and operated by CNNC, it has a design life of 60 years and adopts a 177-reactor core design that needs refueling every 18 months. It innovatively uses a combination of "active and passive" safety systems and a double-shell containment, which meets the latest international nuclear safety requirements.  

According to CNNC, each Hualong One unit has an installed capacity of more than 1.16 million kilowatts and can produce nearly 10 billion kWh of power annually, enough for the annual power demands of a moderately developed country with 1 million population.

The power generated by a Hualong One unit equals that obtained by burning 3.12 million tons of standard coal and can eliminate 8.16 million tons of carbon dioxide.

According to CNNC, the company will accelerate mass construction of Hualong One reactors and develop new technologies to promote their export, helping China reach its goal of carbon neutrality.

A view of the world's first Hualong One reactor at the No. 5 unit of CNNC's Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant in Fujian Province [Photo provided to sasac.gov.cn]

An aerial view of the Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant in Fujian [Photo provided to sasac.gov.cn]

(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)