First Hualong One Unit in GBA Put into Commercial Operation in Guangdong

On April 20, the first Hualong One nuclear power unit in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) — Unit 1 of CGN Guangdong Taipingling Nuclear Power Project — was put into power generation and officially commercial operation conditions. Calculated based on the average utilization hours of domestic nuclear power in 2025, it is expected to generate more than 9 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, which can meet the annual production and living electricity needs of millions of residents in the GBA.

People’s Network reported that "Unit 1 has completed all performance tests and a 168-hour full-power continuous operation assessment, and all current parameters are normal and stable with the unit in good condition," introduced Zhang Guoqiang, Chairman of CGN Huizhou Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. He added that the construction of Unit 1 has fully absorbed experience from previous projects, completing 26 major design improvements and more than 8,300 experience feedbacks.

The put-into-operation Unit 1 has achieved multiple key technological breakthroughs. It is the first time that the independently designed HL-T67 steam generator and SH-N non-safety level DCS platform by CGN have been applied, and the main steam isolation valve has also realized localization, marking a solid step forward in the comprehensive localization of key equipment.

Meanwhile, the primary circuit zinc injection passivation technology is adopted to put a "corrosion-proof coat" on the pipelines, effectively inhibiting corrosion and extending equipment service life. The decoupled operation of the primary and secondary sides allows the two circuits of the nuclear power plant to start independently, greatly improving maintenance efficiency. In addition, the project has launched the digital handover 3.0 platform for the first time, connecting the entire chain of design, procurement, construction and commissioning with a 3D power plant model.

The Taipingling Nuclear Power Project is planned to build 6 Hualong One nuclear power units in three phases, and the overall construction is progressing steadily as planned. China Daily reported that after all 6 units are completed, the annual power generation is expected to exceed 55 billion kilowatt-hours, which can equivalently reduce standard coal consumption by about 16.65 million tons and carbon dioxide emissions by about 50.82 million tons annually.

With the commissioning of Unit 1 of the Taipingling Nuclear Power Project, CGN now has 29 nuclear power units in operation with an installed capacity of 33.04 million kilowatts, and 19 under construction with an installed capacity of 23.02 million kilowatts, among which 17 adopt the Hualong One third-generation nuclear power technology. This project will continuously contribute "Hualong Power" to the green transformation of Guangdong’s energy and the realization of the "dual carbon" goal.