An industrial conference centered on the "Nuclear Energy Plus" concept was successfully held on July 3rd in Haiyan County, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province. The event brought together academicians, experts, industry organizations, and representatives from government and enterprises. The focus was on the diversified applications of nuclear energy, aiming to establish a professional platform for government-enterprise connections, inter-company communication, technology sharing, and the commercialization of research outcomes. The initiative seeks to leverage "nuclear energy plus computing power" and isotope industries to foster the development of advanced productive forces.
Haiyan County holds a significant place in China's nuclear power history as its starting point. On March 20, 1985, the first concrete pour for a nuclear power plant took place at the foot of the local Qinshan Mountain, marking the official commencement of construction for the Chinese mainland's first nuclear power station. Nuclear power has not only reshaped Haiyan's industrial landscape but also profoundly influences the future trajectory of this top industrial county.
Over more than 40 years of integrated development between the enterprise and the locality, the relationship between Haiyan and the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant has evolved from simple energy cooperation to comprehensive, synergistic growth. Qinshan Nuclear Power possesses two of the nation's only commercial heavy water reactors, granting it a unique capability for the large-scale, stable, and continuous irradiation production of medical isotopes. This forms the core comparative advantage for Haiyan's strategic positioning in the "Nuclear Energy Plus" future industries.
Utilizing these heavy water reactors, Qinshan Nuclear Power has achieved batch production of Cobalt-60, full domestic production of Carbon-14, and has brought Yttrium-90 and Lutetium-177 to market, establishing itself as the national leader in the production capacity of key medical isotopes. Nuclear medicine represents a cutting-edge technology for the targeted destruction of cancer cells and is a crucial direction for future pharmaceutical innovation.
Since 2020, Qinshan Nuclear Power, in collaboration with domestic enterprises and research institutes, has embarked on a path to achieve large-scale production of medical isotopes using heavy water reactors. In May 2025, the "Hefu No. 1" technology brand was successfully launched. In December of the same year, Qinshan Nuclear Power received approval from the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Science and Technology to establish an isotope innovation consortium.
Li Shisheng, Deputy Chief Engineer of China National Nuclear Corporation's Qinshan Nuclear Power, explained that with strong support from Zhejiang Province and CNNC, the consortium has brought together the province's key research institutions, medical facilities, and leading enterprises in the industrial chain. It focuses on clinically needed isotopes like Lutetium-177 and Iodine-131, leveraging Qinshan Nuclear Power's unique advantages to accelerate the integration of the entire chain from R&D and production to application.
In recent years, building on its inherent industrial strengths and aligning with the direction of advanced productive forces, Haiyan has planned and developed a high-standard, large-scale Nuclear Technology Application (Isotope) Industrial Park. The county has continuously intensified efforts in industry cultivation and investment attraction, with the industrial cluster beginning to take shape.
Currently, Haiyan has achieved significant results in nuclide R&D and production. Leveraging Qinshan's commercial heavy water reactors, Carbon-14 and Lutetium-177 are already supplied to the market, with some exported. Yttrium-90 and Strontium-89 have entered small-batch trial production, with quality reaching internationally leading levels, breaking import dependence. Huane has conducted Actinium-225 detection tests; Atelpha has installed the world's first commercial alpha-particle cyclotron, with batch supply of Astatine-211 planned for this year; medium-to-high energy accelerator projects are advancing, with Actinium-225 expected to be supplied to the market by 2028.
Simultaneously, Haiyan is actively expanding the comprehensive utilization of nuclear energy to benefit the daily lives of more residents. In 2021, the first nuclear energy heating demonstration project in southern China became operational in the county. In 2022, the country's first nuclear energy industrial heating project was completed and put into use locally. Currently, new application scenarios such as "nuclear energy plus computing power" and "nuclear energy plus steam supply" are being rapidly deployed in Haiyan.
The story of a nuclear power plant and a county is being rewritten, evolving from a simple narrative of electricity supply into an innovative blueprint for the holistic upgrade of a city's energy system.
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