China’s first Hualong One nuclear reactor enters commercial service

BEIJING (Reuters) – China National Nuclear Corp said the first of its Hualong One units, third-generation pressurized water nuclear reactors, began commercial operations on Saturday.

The reactor in Fuqing, in southeast China’s Fujian Province, was first connected to the grid on November 27 last year, after more than five years of construction.

“This marks that China has mastered third-generation independent nuclear technology after the United States, France, Russia and others,” the company said in a statement on its official WeChat account.

The Hualong One units, designed to have a lifespan of 60 years, have an installed capacity of 1.161 million kilowatts each, CNNC said.

Construction of a second Hualong One unit at the Fuqing site is due to be completed this year.

CNNC said the project would help China secure its national energy security and achieve carbon neutrality.