First Hualong One Nuclear Project in Greater Bay Area Fully Operational

On August 3, 2026, China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) brought Unit 2 of the Taipingling Nuclear Power Project online in Huizhou, Guangdong Province. The milestone marks the full operation of Phase I of the Greater Bay Area's first nuclear project powered by China's indigenous Hualong One third-generation reactor technology. With both Phase I units now active, the station is projected to supply over 18 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually, serving the power needs of nearly 2 million people and offsetting around 16.63 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

The full commissioning of Taipingling Phase I marks a key step in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area's energy transition. Providing over 18 billion kWh of baseload electricity annually, the station strengthens local power supply security while helping reduce carbon intensity across one of China's largest economic clusters.

Unit 2 of the Taipingling Nuclear Power Project in Guangdong Province officially began generating electricity at 11:18 a.m. on August 3, 2026, according to state media reporting sources from China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN). The commissioning of Unit 2 marks the completion and full operational status of Phase I of the facility, establishing the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area's first nuclear power station powered by China's indigenous Hualong One third-generation reactor design. Located in Huidong County, Huizhou City, the overall Taipingling project is designed to house six Hualong One nuclear units. The State Council approved Phase I, which consists of two reactors, on April 8, 2019, and construction on Unit 2 commenced on October 15, 2020. CGN reported that the construction team integrated operational insights from earlier Hualong One deployments to execute major milestones, including nuclear island structural work, component installation, system testing, initial fuel loading, reactor criticality, and initial grid connection. With Unit 2 meeting commercial operation standards, Phase I is fully built. Zhang Guoqiang, chairman of CGN Huizhou Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., stated that based on national average nuclear utilization hours in 2025, the two-unit phase is expected to generate over 18 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually. This volume can supply the annual power consumption needs of nearly 2 million residents and businesses, equivalent to reducing annual carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 16.63 million metric tons. The completion of Phase I underscores China's strategy to deploy domestic third-generation nuclear technology as a reliable baseload power source for its major economic clusters. As energy demand in the Greater Bay Area grows alongside industrial upgrade initiatives, large-scale nuclear facilities provide low-carbon power that balances variable renewable output from wind and solar while advancing national decarbonization goals.