Chinese Government Approves Eight New Nuclear Power Plant Projects

The Chinese government has approved eight new nuclear power plant projects. This decision was made to meet the country's increasing energy demands. The approved projects will be constructed in the provinces of Guangdong, Liaoning, Zhejiang, and Shandong.

Each reactor will have a production capacity of 1,127 MW. The project developers have been identified as CGN Power, China National Nuclear Power, and SPIC Industry-Finance. According to Chinese media, the reactors will be HPR1000 (Hualong One) third-generation pressurized water reactors.

Some of the new projects have been designated as demonstration projects for version 2.0 of the Hualong One technology. The total investment for the projects will exceed 170 billion yuan (approximately $25 billion).

This development comes at a time when nuclear energy production worldwide has reached record levels. According to the Statistical Review of World Energy report, global nuclear energy production reached 2,845 TWh in 2025, representing a 1.3% increase from the previous year. The report states that this increase is entirely due to China's contributions.

China has tripled its nuclear energy production over the past decade, achieving an annual growth rate of 11%. The country has set a target of reaching a nuclear energy capacity of 110 GW by 2030 and 200 GW by 2035.

The newly approved reactors include units 5 and 6 of the Taipingling Nuclear Power Plant in Huizhou, Guangdong province. The first two units of the plant began commercial operation this year, and construction of units 3 and 4 is ongoing.

The Chinese government has stated that it needs more baseload energy sources to meet its energy demands and achieve its climate goals. The country had a nuclear energy capacity of approximately 61 GW by the end of 2024 but failed to reach its target of 70 GW by 2025.

Source: POWER Magazine