China National Nuclear Corporation said its first nuclear power unit that uses Hualong One, a third-generation reactor, started commercial operations on Saturday.
The reactor, located in Fuqing city in China’s southeastern Fujian province, was designed to have a 60-year lifespan, with its core equipment domestically produced. Each unit of the Hualong No. 1 has a capacity of 1.161 million kilowatts and can meet the annual domestic electricity demand of 1 million people in moderately developed countries, according to CNNC.
“With Hualong One online, China is now at the forefront of third-generation nuclear technology in the world, alongside countries like the U.S., France and Russia,” said CNNC President Yu Jianfeng.
A second Hualong One unit is due to be completed later this year.
