Taipingling 2 received an operating licence from China’s National Nuclear Safety Administration on 30 April. The loading of a total of 177 fuel assemblies was completed on 3 May. It attained a sustained chain reaction for the first time (referred to as first criticality) on 25 June.
CGN has now announced that the 1,116 MWe (net) pressurised water reactor was “successfully connected to the grid for the first time, generating its first kilowatt-hour of electricity” on 4 July.
“This marks a crucial step towards the commissioning of the second unit of the first Hualong One nuclear power base in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, signifying that it has officially gained the ability to transmit power to the grid,” the company said. “After grid connection, on-site confirmation showed that the unit is operating well, and all technical indicators meet design expectations. A series of tests will be conducted as planned to further verify the unit’s performance, and it is expected to officially commence power generation in the second half of 2026.”
_ee16a982.jpg)
Taipingling units 1 and 2 (Image: CGN)
The Taipingling plant will eventually have six Hualong One reactors, with a total investment exceeding CNY120 billion (USD17 billion). The construction of the first and second units began in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Hot testing of unit 1 was completed in September 2024, with that of unit 2 completed in July 2025. Unit 1 attained first criticality on 3 February this year and was connected to the grid on 13 February. It entered commercial operation on 19 April.
Construction of the second phase of the Taipingling plant – units 3 and 4 – was approved by China’s State Council in December 2023, with construction of unit 3 getting under way in June last year. The first nuclear safety-related concrete for the reactor building of unit 4 was poured in May.
Once all six units are completed and put into operation, the annual power generation will exceed 55 billion kilowatt-hours, CGN said. It will also reduce standard coal consumption by about 16.65 million tonnes and carbon dioxide emissions by about 50.82 million tonnes annually.
