China’s latest nuclear reactor goes live, first in Greater Bay Area with Hualong One tech
New reactor at Taipingling Nuclear Power Plant launches as Guangdong sees a growing number of reactors built across the province
China’s domestic design is fuelling a nuclear reactor-building spree in the country’s largest provincial economy of Guangdong, with a new Hualong One reactor counting down to entering commercial operation this week ahead of peak demand for electricity this summer.
Many of Guangdong’s nuclear plants, including its first one built more than 30 years ago, imported foreign technologies for their superior Western design but China is increasingly building out its domestic supply chain for nuclear energy.
The milestone at Taipingling caps five years of construction, with its initial proposal reportedly favouring technology from Westinghouse in the United States. The project cost 120 billion yuan (US$17.58 billion) and will incorporate six reactors.
Beijing is hoping to cut itself off from fossil fuels, especially coal, one of the key contributors to climate change. Together with renewable energy, the world’s second-largest economy and biggest polluter of greenhouse gases aims to peak emissions by 2030 and get to carbon neutrality in 2060.