CGN unveils upgraded Hualong One 2.0 to global market

China General Nuclear Power Group officially unveiled the 2.0 version of its Hualong One nuclear reactor design to the global market, marking a significant milestone for the country's independently developed Generation III-plus nuclear technology.

The launch served as the technological centerpiece of CGN's 2026 Annual Sustainability Conference held in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

During the event, the company disclosed that Hualong One 2.0 features substantial enhancements across nine critical safety indicators. A major highlight of the reactor's upgrade is the new generation of FirmSys — CGN's proprietary digital instrumentation and control system — which has reduced its required hardware cabinets by approximately 40 percent.

Often referred to as the "nerve center" and "brain" of a nuclear power plant, FirmSys is China's first domestically developed nuclear safety-grade digital I&C system.

According to CGN, the newly upgraded FirmSys integrates advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, including knowledge graphs and other smart models. This technological leap translates to a roughly 30 percent reduction in daily manual operations for plant operators, while simultaneously cutting the operation and maintenance workload for I&C systems by about 50 percent.