The Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment has issued an operation licence for the 1,126 MW Unit 1 of the Zhangzhou nuclear power plant, operated by the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and located in the Fujian Province, south-eastern China. CNNC has subsequently started loading 177 fuel assemblies into the core of the reactor, marking the start of commissioning. Full commission of the unit is expected before the end of 2024.
Unit 1 is one of six Hualong One reactors to be installed at the site. Unit 2 (also 1,126 MW) is currently under construction and is scheduled for 2025. China's State Council approved the construction of Units 3 and 4 (1 GW each) in September 2022, as Phase II of the Zhangzhou plant. Unit 4 began construction in early October 2024. Two additional 1 GW units are planned for the third phase of the nuclear plant.
At the end of 2023, China’s nuclear capacity reached 56.9 GW (with 56 operational reactors) and its nuclear power generation reached nearly 435 TWh (around 5% of the power mix). China targets 200 GW of nuclear capacity by 2035.
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