China's Hualong One nuclear power demonstration project passes tests

The demonstration project of Hualong One, China's homegrown third-generation nuclear power reactor design, passed the final acceptance tests on Friday, the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced.

The project includes two reactors – Unit 5 and Unit 6 – at Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant in Fuzhou City, southeast China's Fujian Province.

The passing of the tests on Friday was the final step that marked the completion of the project, which signifies that China's nuclear power competency now ranks among the world's best, the CNNC said.

The construction of Fuqing Unit 5 started in May 2015 and that of Unit 6 began in December the same year. Unit 5 entered commercial operation in January 2021 and Unit 6 in March 2022.

Currently, the two units can generate 20 billion kWh of electricity annually.

"The project has best performance in terms of the construction period, cost-efficiency, operation safety and quality among all demonstration projects of third-generation nuclear power units worldwide," Song Lin, general manager of CNNC Fujian Fuqing Nuclear Power Co., Ltd, told CGTN in an interview.

The construction process of the project provides valuable references for future construction of Hualong One units, the CNNC said.

Global interest in Hualong One

Since 2017, experts and industry insiders from countries in East Europe, South America, the Middle East and Africa have visited Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant to learn about Hualong One, in multiple trips organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Association of Nuclear Operators and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"When we introduced Hualong One to other countries, they showed great interest. We provided the performance parameters of its construction, and the feedback we received shows that Hualong One has significant competitive advantages," Song said.

"According to my observations, they usually had two typical reactions after seeing Hualong One. One is astonishment at how advanced China's nuclear power technology is, and the other is the intention to reinforce cooperation with China in the nuclear energy sector," he added.