The first safety-related concrete has been poured for the reactor building of unit 1 at the Zhaoyuan nuclear power plant in Shandong province. It is the first of six HPR1000 (Hualong One) units planned for the site.
The first safety-related concrete has been poured for the reactor building of unit 1 at the Zhaoyuan nuclear power plant in Shandong province. It is the first of six HPR1000 (Hualong One) units planned for the site.
In November 2022, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment announced the formal acceptance of the environmental impact assessment documents covering the site selection stage for the Zhaoyuan plant. Construction of Phase I (units 1 and 2) of the Zhaoyuan plant was approved by China's State Council in August 2024. The project is being constructed and operated by Shandong Zhaoyuan Nuclear Power Company, a subsidiary of China General Nuclear (CGN).
The plant, representing a total investment of about CNY120 billion (USD16.9 billion), will eventually house six Hualong One units. Each unit is expected to start generating power 50-60 months after the start of its construction. With a total installed capacity of 7.2 GWe, the plant is expected to generate 50 TWh of electricity annually — enough to meet the yearly needs of about five million people.
It will be equivalent to cutting standard coal consumption by roughly 15.27 million tonnes and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 46.2 million tonnes each year, according to CGN.
Summary: The Zhaoyuan plant's Phase I construction progresses with the first safety-related concrete pour for unit 1, aiming for six Hualong One reactors totaling 7.2 GWe and an annual output of 50 TWh, while signaling substantial environmental and carbon reductions.