Aerial view of the No1 nuclear power unit run by the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) in Zhangzhou, East China's Fujian Province. Courtesy of CNNC.

The first-generation unit of the Zhangzhou nuclear power plant in East China's Fujian Province officially entered commercial operation on Wednesday after successfully completing a demonstration run lasting 168 hours, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Wednesday.

This marked a major step for the upcoming massive roll-out of the "Hualong One," a domestically developed third-generation nuclear reactor.

The Zhangzhou nuclear power project is designed to have six "Hualong One" reactors, with four units currently under construction. The project in the city of Zhangzhou is the world's largest "Hualong One" nuclear power base, with the Hualong One reactors widely used.

The construction of the power plant started in October 2019, as the first generator of the Zhangzhou nuclear power project represents the fifth nuclear power unit built by China National Nuclear Corp (CNNC), using the advanced "Hualong One" technology.

With independently mastered third-generation nuclear power technology, "Hualong One" complies with the highest global safety standards, and is a pivotal achievement in China's nuclear power technology innovation.

Currently, 33 "Hualong One" nuclear reactors are in operation or under construction at home and abroad - making it the leading third-generation nuclear power technology in the world, Xinhua reported in November 2024.

A "Hualong One" reactor unit is able to generate more than 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, which can meet the annual electricity needs of 1 million people in a moderately developed economy. This is equivalent to cutting annual coal consumption of 3.12 million tons and carbon dioxide emissions of 8.16 million tons per year.

Global Times