CGN unveils latest nuclear reactor design to global market

China's nuclear energy sector achieved a major technological milestone on Monday as China General Nuclear Power Group officially unveiled the 2.0 version of its proprietary Hualong One nuclear reactor design to the global market, a breakthrough experts say will significantly bolster the country's nuclear export competitiveness and high-end equipment manufacturing prowess.

The launch marks a vital step forward for the nation's independently developed nuclear technology, transitioning from domestic operational success to a world-class industrial benchmark, said industry experts.

Hualong One is China's third-generation nuclear power technology with full intellectual property rights. It is also one of the most widely accepted series of third-generation nuclear power reactors in the world.

"The upgraded reactor design not only cements China's self-reliance in cutting-edge nuclear engineering, but also dramatically elevates the commercial appeal of Chinese nuclear solutions in international tenders," said Lin Boqiang, head of the China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy at Xiamen University. "By driving down full lifecycle capital and maintenance costs while raising safety standards, it positions China as an increasingly indispensable partner in the global clean energy transition."

Unveiled as the centerpiece of CGN's 2026 Annual Sustainability Conference in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Monday, Hualong One 2.0 boasts upgrades across nine critical safety indicators.

A core highlight is the next generation of FirmSys — China's first domestically developed nuclear safety-grade digital instrumentation and control system — which has achieved a roughly 40 percent reduction in hardware cabinet volume.

Widely recognized as the "nerve center" and "brain" of a nuclear power station, the upgraded Firm-Sys deeply integrates advanced artificial intelligence models, including knowledge graphs.

This integration reduces operators' daily manual workload by approximately 30 percent while halving routine maintenance demands for the entire I&C system, significantly minimizing risks of human error and optimizing plant availability.

China's nuclear power industry has entered a "fast track" of high-quality development, Wang Shoujun, president of the Chinese Nuclear Society, said earlier.

The nation's nuclear science and technology innovation capabilities have seen a comprehensive upgrade, with significant leaps achieved across multiple frontiers, including small modular reactors, controlled nuclear fusion and advanced nuclear fuel cycles.

According to CGN, the 2.0 iteration addresses these hurdles directly through modular construction, which compresses installation schedules and lowers upfront capital expenditures. Crucially, its advanced passive safety mechanisms allow the reactor to maintain safe shutdown conditions for up to 72 hours without human intervention or emergency external power supplies during extreme scenarios.

This strategic balance of robust safety and superior economic viability makes the reactor an optimal choice for overseas utilities, while further mobilizing China's integrated supply chains across heavy equipment manufacturing, precision engineering and digital systems, it said.

The technology's commercial readiness is anchored by an unmatched industrial track record. To date, 10 Hualong One units are in commercial operation at home and abroad, with an additional 37 units approved or under construction.

The total fleet size ranks first globally among all third-generation nuclear reactor models, demonstrating that the design's reliability has been rigorously verified through large-scale, standardized batch construction.

China's broader nuclear sector is experiencing unprecedented growth, with the National Energy Administration reporting 467 billion kilowatt-hours of power generation in 2025 and a record 161 billion yuan ($24 billion) in engineering investments last year.

Building on this heavily funded domestic foundation, Chinese developers are actively exporting their clean energy expertise. CGN currently has cumulatively supplied more than 370 billion kWh of clean electricity to international markets, it said.

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn