The year 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the commencement of the construction of the world's first Hualong One project. As China's independently developed third-generation nuclear technology, the Hualong One sets a benchmark with a 68.7-month construction period for its first unit, making it the only third-generation nuclear project delivered on schedule in the world. The demonstration project has won the National Quality Engineering Award, with its two units scoring a perfect 100 in the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) evaluation. Together, they have generated nearly 65 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity and are approaching 1,000 days of safe and stable operation.
The Hualong One has demonstrated outstanding performance globally, reaching an internationally advanced level. It has not only laid a solid foundation for future large-scale deployment, but also showcased the reliability of China's independently developed third-generation nuclear technology. The Hualong One offers a replicable solution for countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.
A result of China's thirty-year experience in nuclear power research, design, manufacturing, construction and operation, the Hualong One is independently developed with advanced million-kilowatt pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear power technology. It meets the latest and highest global safety standards, with exclusive intellectual property rights. Currently, the Hualong One has become the mainstream reactor type in nuclear power development, with a total of 41 units approved, under construction, or already in operation worldwide.
From the launch of the first Hualong One unit to the steady progress of batch construction of 41 units, the project has gathered nearly 6,000 enterprises to form a complete industrial supply chain. The Hualong One stands as a major achievement of China's nuclear industry in pursuing independent innovation and supporting national strategies. It also plays a key role in upgrading the high-end equipment manufacturing sector, ensuring national energy security, and advancing the country’s dual carbon goals. It marks a significant step in the go-global drive of China's nuclear power industry, contributing to global energy transition and carbon reduction efforts.
During the development of the Hualong One, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has established a comprehensive system of 2,044 domestic and international standards, along with a complete intellectual property system comprising over 700 domestic patents, 65 international patents, and 125 software copyrights. A digital nuclear power plant was built, leading to the creation of China's first self-developed nuclear software system. Throughout the construction, CNNC collaborated with 75 domestic universities, research institutes, and equipment manufacturers, as well as 14 international organizations and institutions, to overcome 179 key technical challenges in research and testing. Over 5,400 equipment suppliers were involved in the manufacturing and delivery of more than 60,000 items of equipment, with nearly 200,000 people participating in the project's construction.
To enhance unit performance, CNNC has aligned with the highest standards set by WANO, focusing on the implementation of the performance indicator system. Through a series of measures, CNNC has continuously improved the operational performance of its units, ensuring safe, stable and efficient operation. At present, two units have reached world-class levels across 25 WANO indicators.
Based on the experience gained, CNNC has established a comprehensive and advanced construction and operation management system to suit the Hualong One nuclear power plants, along with 110 sub-products across 17 key areas. A total of 4,885 operational procedures in 11 categories have been developed and released for the Hualong One units. 58 core products with competitive advantages have been created in areas such as production preparation and commissioning. These efforts have strongly supported the smooth implementation of the demonstration project and the ongoing batch construction.
In terms of talent development, the Hualong training system has been established along with an international training center, which has completed 28 international training programs involving nine countries. A range of specialized training courses have been conducted, including those focused on the Hualong One project construction. To date, the system has trained a total of 207 operators and 151 personnel in key production roles for multiple newly built Hualong One units in China. The Hualong One experts team supported the commissioning and start-up of new units both domestically and internationally.
Since 2020, more than 400 professionals have been deployed to domestic and international Hualong One units and new nuclear power projects, providing strong talent support for the large-scale construction and global deployment of the Hualong One. This has also offered a replicable management model for the industrial development of nuclear power. Looking ahead, the Hualong One will play a strategic role in building a new energy system and ensuring energy security, contribute to China’s development of nuclear power and the global transition to green, low-carbon energy, and demonstrate greater value in building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Each Hualong One unit can generate over 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to meet the production and living electricity needs of one million people in a moderately developed country. This is equivalent to reducing the consumption of standard coal by 3.12 million tonnes and cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 8.16 million tonnes each year.
