China officially starts construction of another new Hualong One nuclear unit

Technicians in China have begun construction of the fourth unit at Zhangzhou Nuclear Power Plant with the first pour of concrete. The new power plant will have a total of six Hualong One nuclear reactors and a combined capacity of more than 7 GW. The first pair of units will enter commercial operation next year, while the second pair, construction of which began this year, is expected to be commissioned within five years. The country is working intensively on preparations for a third phase, with another pair of units.

China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced that it had officially started construction of Zhangzhou 4 in Fujian Province. On 27 September, technicians began pouring concrete for the nuclear island of the Hualong One (HPR1000) unit, which has an installed capacity of around 1200 MW.

"Zhangzhou Nuclear Power Plant is the starting point for the large-scale deployment of Hualong One units. Four units are currently under construction here, and safety and quality are under control," CNNC said in a press release.

The Chinese government decided to build the new Zhangzhou nuclear power plant back in 2014, and it was originally planned to feature AP1000 units. CNNC subsequently decided to use its domestic HPR1000 design instead. In three phases, six Hualong One units will be built at the site. Once completed, the plant, with a total capacity of 7.2 GW, is expected to generate 63.5 TWh of electricity annually. According to CNNC, the first unit at Zhangzhou will begin generating electricity later this year. The second is scheduled to come online next year.

Development of Hualong One technology

China's Hualong One nuclear unit design was developed by combining reactor designs developed by CNNC and China General Nuclear (CGN). They are pressurised water reactors, although despite sharing the same name, the units can differ depending on which company builds them. CNNC's model is more influenced by the American AP1000 design, while CGN's is influenced by European EPR reactors.

China commissioned its first Hualong One reactor in 2021, and six are currently in operation. The Chinese power plants Fuqing and Fangchenggang each operate two units, while another two generate electricity at Pakistan's Karachi nuclear power plant. Along with the four units at Zhangzhou, a total of 14 Hualong One units are under construction in China, and are expected to begin generating electricity by 2030.

"Each Hualong One nuclear unit generates more than 10 TWh of electricity annually. This is equivalent to reducing coal consumption by 3.12 million tonnes and carbon dioxide emissions by 8.16 million tonnes a year. It is also equivalent to planting more than 70 million trees," CNNC says, outlining the benefits.

The country is also working on developing the Hualong Two unit, which is expected to cut construction costs by around a quarter. Construction time is also expected to fall from five to four years.