Unit 2 of China’s Zhangzhou NPP in Fujian Province has entered commercial operation after completing a 168-hour full-power continuous operation test, marking the full commissioning of Phase I of the project (units 1&2). Unit 2 is the second of six Hualong One (HPR1000) reactors planned for the site.
Unit 1 began commercial operation on 1 January 2025, since when its annual power generation exceeded 10.2 TWh, according to official data. Construction is underway for units 3&4 (Phase 2), while preparatory work for units 5&6 (Phase 3) is progressing steadily, according to China Nuclear Power Corporation (CNNC). Once fully completed, the Zhangzhou NPP is expected to provide about 60 TWh of electricity annually.
China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued construction licences for Zhangzhou 1&2 in 2019 to CNNC-Guodian Zhangzhou Energy Company, the owner of the Zhangzhou nuclear power project, which was created by CNNC (51%) and China Guodian Corporation (49%) in 2011. Construction of unit 1 began one week after the construction licence was issued, with construction of unit 2 starting in September 2020. In September 2022, China’s State Council approved the construction of two further Hualong One units as Phase 2. First concrete for the nuclear island of unit 3 was poured in February 2024, and for unit 4 the following September.
