China Tops Global Nuclear Construction Scale with Expanded New Build Pipeline

According to China Central Television News, China has accelerated nuclear power project construction throughout the year, maintaining the world’s largest scale of ongoing nuclear engineering development.

Recent construction milestones have marked steady progress in domestic nuclear projects. The No.4 unit passive containment cooling water tank at Haiyang Nuclear Power Plant Phase II has completed hoisting operations, moving the entire project into comprehensive installation and commissioning phases.

China’s nuclear power development pipeline continues to expand at a rapid pace. The country currently has 57 approved nuclear units under construction, accounting for more than half of the global ongoing nuclear construction volume. The total installed capacity of operational and approved under-construction nuclear units has reached 135 million kilowatts, ranking first worldwide.

Nuclear power has become a core pillar supporting China’s green energy transition and low-carbon economic development. Despite occupying less than 2 percent of the country’s total power installation capacity, nuclear facilities generate nearly 5 percent of China’s annual electricity output. Four provincial regions including Guangdong, Fujian, Liaoning and Hainan record nuclear power generation proportions exceeding 15 percent, establishing nuclear energy as a key clean power source for China’s eastern coastal economic belts.

China has further expanded its nuclear power development layout in July with the official approval of eight new nuclear units, forming the first batch of nuclear projects confirmed for the 15th Five-Year Plan period. The national nuclear development framework adheres to stable, safe and orderly expansion principles.

Going forward, China will steadily advance the construction of eastern coastal nuclear power clusters, promote diversified comprehensive utilisation of nuclear energy tailored to regional conditions, and raise the proportion of nuclear power in the national energy and power consumption structure.