China’s Nuclear Power Installed Capacity Ranks First Globally, with Strong Independent Technology

BEIJING, April 20 — As of now, the Chinese mainland has a total of 112 nuclear power units in operation and approved for construction, with an installed capacity of 125 million kilowatts, making its nuclear power installed scale the largest in the world. China Nuclear Energy Association reports that among these, 60 units are in operation with an installed capacity of 63.69 million kilowatts, ranking third globally.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China’s cumulative nuclear power generation exceeded 2 trillion kilowatt-hours, equivalent to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1.53 billion tons, making remarkable contributions to the country’s green and low-carbon development goals. Safety and quality have always been the top priorities in nuclear power production and operation, ensuring the stable and reliable operation of all units.

China has made remarkable progress in independent third-generation nuclear power technology. Its self-developed “Hualong One” technology has achieved batch construction, with 8 units put into commercial operation at home and abroad and 33 units approved for construction. The demonstration projects of “Guohe One” and the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor have also been completed and put into operation, marking a new level of China’s nuclear power technology.

Global Network reports that the first “Hualong One” unit in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area — Unit 1 of CGN Guangdong Taipingling Nuclear Power Project — was put into commercial operation on April 20. This unit has achieved 26 major design improvements and built a physical power station and a “digital power station” simultaneously, with an expected annual power generation of over 9 billion kilowatt-hours, meeting the annual production and living electricity needs of millions of residents in the Greater Bay Area.

The localization rate of China’s third-generation nuclear power units has risen to more than 95%, forming the capacity to manufacture more than 10 sets of main nuclear power equipment annually and having the engineering capability to construct 50 nuclear power units at the same time. China Nuclear Energy Development Report (2026) shows that China has achieved 100% localization of main nuclear power equipment and independent control of key component technologies.

In 2025, China’s nuclear power equipment manufacturing enterprises delivered a total of 148 sets of main nuclear power equipment, nearly tripling the number in 2023, which effectively guaranteed the needs of large-scale nuclear power construction in the country. Zhang Guoqiang, Commander-in-Chief of CGN Huizhou Nuclear Power Project, noted that the commissioning of the Taipingling Nuclear Power Unit 1 is equivalent to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 8.4 million tons and afforesting 20,000 hectares annually.