China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) announced that Unit 2 of its Guangdong Taipingling nuclear power project officially began commercial operation at 11:18 AM on August 3, marking the completion of the first phase of the Greater Bay Area's inaugural "Hualong One" independent third-generation nuclear power project.
The Taipingling nuclear power project is located in Huidong County, Huizhou City, Guangdong Province. The first phase received national approval on April 8, 2019, and construction of Unit 2 commenced on October 15, 2020. The construction team drew extensively from the experience of previous "Hualong One" projects, successfully completing a series of major milestones including the main structure of the nuclear island, equipment installation and commissioning, nuclear fuel loading, first reactor criticality, and grid connection. The quality, safety, and construction efficiency of the project have steadily improved.
During the construction of Unit 2, the project team continuously advanced the deep integration of construction technology with digitalization. On the construction side, over 30 major design improvements were implemented, including the innovative application of integral lifting techniques for the steel liner bottom plate and truncated cone modules, the first such use in a "Hualong One" unit. This modular construction approach shifted much of the high-altitude work to ground level, significantly reducing cross-operation risks and high-altitude hazards.
On the digitalization front, the project has deployed more than 40 rapid-win scenarios, over 60 digital applications, and over 40 "digital employees" at CGN Huizhou. It has also completed the deployment of intelligent equipment such as Smart Construction Site 3.0, a digital command center, and exoskeleton robots.
Zhang Guoqiang, Chairman of CGN Huizhou Nuclear Power Company, stated that with Unit 2 now having commercial operational status, the first phase of the Taipingling nuclear project is fully complete. Based on the 2025 average utilization hours for mainland China's nuclear power, the two units are expected to generate over 18 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, enough to meet the annual production and living needs of nearly 2 million people. This will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 16.63 million tonnes annually, further enhancing the clean energy supply capacity of the Greater Bay Area.
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