First Taipingling unit enters commercial operation

On 19 April, the 1116 MWe (net) domestically-designed pressurised water reactor completed a series of commissioning tests, including a test run lasting 168 hours, China General Nuclear (CGN) said.

The Taipingling plant will eventually have six Hualong One reactors, with a total investment exceeding CNY120 billion (USD17 billion). The construction of the first and second units began in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Hot testing of unit 1 was completed in September 2024, with that of unit 2 completed in July 2025.

_{(Image: CGN)}

Taipingling 1 received an operating licence from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment on 24 December last year. The loading of the first fuel assemblies began at the unit later that day following approval from the National Nuclear Safety Administration. A total of 177 fuel assemblies were loaded into the reactor's core. It attained a sustained chain reaction for the first time (referred to as first criticality) on 3 February and was connected to the grid on 13 February.

"After its official commissioning, the unit will generate over 9 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to meet the electricity needs of one million residents in the Greater Bay Area," CGN said. "This clean energy output is equivalent to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 8.4 million tonnes annually and afforesting 20,000 hectares."

Construction of the second phase of the Taipingling plant - units 3 and 4 - was approved by China's State Council in December 2023, with construction of unit 3 getting under way in June last year.

"After Taipingling unit 1 is put into commercial operation, the number of nuclear power generating units in operation managed by the company (including associates) will increase to 29 units and the installed capacity of nuclear power generating units in operation will also increase from 31,838 MW to 33,040 MW," CGN noted.