At the start of 2026, Guangdong's nuclear power sector has once again solidified its position as the "frontrunner" in China's energy landscape with a commanding lead. According to the latest data released by Polaris Power Network, Guangdong's nuclear power generation from January to February 2026 reached 16.86 billion kilowatt-hours, firmly ranking first in the nation. This figure exceeds that of second-place Fujian (15.22 billion kWh) and third-place Zhejiang (12.42 billion kWh) by 1.64 billion kWh and 4.44 billion kWh, respectively. These opening-year figures are not just an impressive report card; they also raise a thought-provoking question: On the high-barrier track of nuclear power, how does Guangdong maintain its top position? The answer lies in two key factors: "scale" and "innovation."
Scale as the Foundation: Guangdong Leads in Operational and Under-Construction Capacity The competition in the nuclear power industry is, first and foremost, a competition of scale. Without sufficient installed and generation capacity, it is difficult to play a significant role in the regional energy structure. Guangdong Province is currently the province with the most concentrated distribution of nuclear power projects and the largest operational and under-construction scale in China. By the end of 2025, Guangdong's nuclear power installed capacity had reached 16.18 million kilowatts, accounting for approximately 25.8% of the nation's total nuclear power installed capacity. It is this solid foundation that has made Guangdong's nuclear power increasingly prominent within the province's energy mix. In the first two months of 2026, nuclear power accounted for 16.6% of Guangdong's total electricity generation of 101.6 billion kWh, becoming the second-largest power source after thermal power.
This scale advantage was not built overnight. As the "cradle" of China's commercial nuclear power, the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant, located in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, has been operating safely for 32 years, supplying over 330 billion kWh of electricity to Hong Kong, accounting for a quarter of Hong Kong's total electricity consumption. It can be said that Guangdong's leadership in nuclear power began with Daya Bay but has extended far beyond it.
Currently, Guangdong's projects under construction are in full swing: The Taipingling Nuclear Power Plant plans for six "Hualong One" units, with four already under construction; four units at the Lufeng Nuclear Power Plant are approved and under construction; in 2025, units 3 and 4 of the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant received national approval, while projects such as the third phase of Fangchenggang and the second phase of Taishan are progressing simultaneously. In 2025, all 28 operational units managed by CGN Power achieved "zero unplanned shutdowns," and the total installed capacity of operational and under-construction nuclear power units increased by over 20 million kilowatts compared to the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period.
Particularly in April 2026, the first "Hualong One" nuclear power unit in the Greater Bay Area—Unit 1 of the Taipingling plant—officially commenced operation. It is expected to generate over 9 billion kWh annually, meeting the yearly electricity demand of a million residents, marking a new level of security in Guangdong's nuclear power supply. Building a foundation on scale ensures Guangdong's nuclear power sector is not only "substantial in quantity" but also "secure in capability."
Innovation as the Breakthrough: "Hualong One" Accelerates Batch Construction If scale determines the "tonnage" of Guangdong's nuclear power, then independent innovation capability determines how "far" it can go. As a strategic industry with high technological barriers, the core technologies of nuclear power cannot be bought or begged for. The key to Guangdong's sustained leadership lies in forging a path of innovation from "introduction" to "independence," and from "single units" to "batch production."
In 2025, the China Southern Atomic Energy Science and Technology Innovation Center, an advanced nuclear energy original technology source created by CGN Power, accelerated its construction, providing a solid experimental platform for the iterative upgrade of "Hualong One" and the research and development of advanced reactor types. This marks Guangdong's transition from being a "major province" in nuclear power application to becoming a "source" of nuclear power technology.
Today, the fruits of independent innovation are rapidly taking root across Guangdong's major nuclear power bases. At the Lufeng Nuclear Power Base, the construction of units 5 and 6 is progressing steadily. China's first domestically produced "Hualong One" main steam release isolation valve has been successfully shipped and will be the first to be applied in Lufeng Unit 5. At the Taipingling Base, with the official operation of Unit 1, "Hualong One" has achieved a crucial leap from "demonstration" to "large-scale application" within the Greater Bay Area.
Data best illustrates the point: Currently, CGN Power operates 29 nuclear power units with a capacity of 33.04 million kilowatts and has 19 units under construction with a capacity of 23.02 million kilowatts. Among these, 17 units employ the third-generation "Hualong One" nuclear power technology. This means Guangdong not only possesses the nation's largest nuclear power cluster but also the most advanced independent technological equipment system.
From the "groundbreaking zero" at Daya Bay to the current batch construction of "Hualong One," Guangdong has formed a complete industrial chain covering nuclear power design, equipment manufacturing, engineering construction, and production operation. It has become the region with the most comprehensive layout and the most prominent cluster effect within China's nuclear power industry system.
How does Guangdong maintain its "top seat" in nuclear power? The answer is now clear: It relies on the deep roots planted over thirty years at Daya Bay, which have grown into a foundation of scale. It relies on the bold breakthroughs of "Hualong One," which have built the confidence of innovation. Looking ahead, projects like Taipingling, Lufeng, and Taishan are poised for action, and the large-scale application of independent third-generation nuclear power technology is accelerating. The story of Guangdong's nuclear power is just beginning.
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