Performed before nuclear fuel is loaded, the test simulates the plant’s thermal operating conditions and confirms that both nuclear and conventional systems meet design standards.
The current test comes just months after the Fujian Province-based plant made headlines when its first unit began operation on January 1, 2025, more than five years after construction first began.
Getting ready for commercial launch
The Hualong-1 reactor represents a key breakthrough in third-generation nuclear technology and highlights China’s significant progress in developing advanced, homegrown energy solutions to meet its growing power needs.
Owned by CNNC-Guodian Zhangzhou Energy Company—a joint venture between CNNC (51 percent) and China Guodian Corporation (49 percent)—the reactor is an indigenous, three-loop pressurized water design that combines features from CNNC’’’s ACP1000 and CGN’s ACPR1000+ models.