China marks major milestone in nuclear power project

Unit 2 of the Taipingling Nuclear Power Plant in South China's Guangdong province officially began generating electricity on Monday, marking the full completion and operation of Phase I of the first "Hualong One" third-generation nuclear power project in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Operated by China General Nuclear Power Group, the milestone signals a major step forward for the region's green energy transition. 

With Unit 2 formally meeting the requirements for commercial operation, Phase I of the Taipingling project is now fully online to deliver stable, low-carbon baseload power to the country's southern economic powerhouse.

Based on the average utilization hours of domestic nuclear power plants in 2025, the two units are projected to generate more than 18 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. This massive output is sufficient to meet the annual production and living electricity demands of nearly 2 million people.

The project will also play a crucial role in advancing China's climate commitments. The operation of Phase I is equivalent to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 16.63 million tons each year, delivering substantial environmental benefits, it said.

Located in Huizhou, Guangdong province, the Taipingling nuclear project is a key component of China's indigenous atomic energy expansion.

Phase I of the project received official national approval on April 8, 2019. Construction of Unit 2 subsequently broke ground on Oct 15, 2020, progressing steadily to its successful grid connection and operation this week.

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn