BEIJING (Reuters) – China National Nuclear Corp. said its first of its Hualong One units, third-generation pressurized nuclear water reactors, began commercial operations on Saturday.
The reactor in Fuqing in the southeastern province of Fujian in China was first connected to the grid on November 27 last year, after more than five years of construction work.
“This marks China’s mastery of third-generation nuclear power 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 60-year lifespan, have an installation capacity of 1.161 million kilowatts each, CNNC reported.
A second Hualong One unit is scheduled to be built at the Fuqing site this year.
CNNC said the project would help China in national energy security and to achieve carbon neutrality.
Reciting with Min Zhang and Norihiko Shirouzu; edited by Jane Wardell