Zhangzhou 2 Hualong One reactor connected to the grid

The second unit at the Zhangzhou nuclear power plant in China’s Fujian province has been connected to the electricity grid for the first time and has begun supplying electricity. China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced the news. It is the second of six planned Hualong One (HPR1000) reactor units at the site.

“At 9:32 a.m. on November 22, Zhangzhou nuclear power plant’s second unit was successfully connected to the electricity grid for the first time,” CNNC said. “Both units in the first phase of the Hualong One series project are now connected to the power grid, contributing to the optimization of the national energy mix and the achievement of the ‘dual-carbon’ goals.”

Licensing, construction and launch of the first units

China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued a construction permit on October 9, 2019, for the first two units of the Zhangzhou nuclear power plant, owned by CNNC-Guodian Zhangzhou Energy Company. The project company was established in 2011 by CNNC (51%) and China Guodian Corporation (49%) to build and operate the plant.

Construction of the first unit began a week after the permit was issued, while construction of the second unit began in September 2020. Zhangzhou’s first unit entered commercial operation on January 1, 2025.

Bringing the second unit into operation

Loading nuclear fuel into the Zhangzhou 2 reactor core began on October 11, and the reactor first reached criticality on November 3.

“Following the initial grid connection, tests at the site confirmed that the unit is in good technical condition and that all technical parameters meet the values specified in the design,” CNNC said. A series of planned tests will follow to further verify the unit’s performance and reliability and ensure it meets the requirements for entering commercial operation.

Six Hualong One units at a single site

The Zhangzhou plant site is ultimately expected to include six Hualong One units. According to CNNC, the first unit has already generated more than 8.8 TWh of electricity safely and reliably.

The second unit is expected to enter commercial operation later this year, while units 3 and 4 are under construction. Preparatory work on units 5 and 6 is also progressing, according to CNNC.

Once all six units are complete, Zhangzhou is expected to supply more than 60 TWh of emissions-free electricity annually. This output is expected to cover around 75% of the total electricity consumption of the cities of Xiamen and Zhangzhou in southern Fujian province, while also helping to improve the stability of the provincial electricity grid, particularly along the north–south axis.