As demand for new clean energy increases on the global stage, a wave of new nuclear energy is set to hit the market in the new year as a litany of nations aim to either revive their nuclear energy sector, such as the United States, or plan new reactors that will boost overall nuclear energy output, such as China. The Chinese government has approved the construction plans for ten more nuclear reactors as part of the nation’s multi-site nuclear energy expansion program. As the rapid transformation of the energy sector advances, China is aiming to lead the charge of new nuclear energy generation.
China’s rapid expansion of nuclear power reflects its dominance in the global energy market
The State Council has been on an approving spree in recent years. The government has noted that it has approved ten or more nuclear reactor development projects annually since 2022, marking the rapid expansion of its nuclear energy output capacity. With 2026 approaching at warp speed, China is aiming to become the cornerstone of the international nuclear energy sector.
China’s State Council has recently announced that it has approved the submitted plans to construct five new nuclear energy projects that will feature ten new nuclear reactors as part of the nation’s astonishing expansion program earmarked for the nuclear energy sector. The five new nuclear energy projects in China are:
- Fangchenggang Phase III
- Haiyang Phase III
- Sanmen Phase III
- Taishan Phase II
- Xiapu Phase I
These five projects will feature ten new reactors, of which eight are the Hualong One units. The approval for the new nuclear reactors was granted by Premier Li Qiang in a State Council meeting earlier this year. China General Nuclear, one of the largest nuclear energy companies in China, has been granted approval for its Phase II Taishan nuclear energy plant, which is located in Guangdong province.
China’s rapid expansion program for its nuclear energy ambitions is set to reshape nuclear energy output capacity
Building on the approval granted for the Taishan nuclear energy plant, China General Nuclear has also been granted approval for its Phase III plan for the Fangchenggang plant in the Guangxi Autonomous Region. CGN has praised the approval granted by the State Council and has noted that the preparatory work on site has kicked off.
“We are carrying out various preparatory work for the construction of the above-mentioned units in an orderly manner, the full construction of which will begin when the Permit for Nuclear Power Station Construction has been obtained from the National Nuclear Safety Administration”. – China General Nuclear
The other major nuclear energy company in the nation, China National Nuclear Corporation, has also been granted approval from the State Council for its Phase III plan for the Sanmen nuclear power plant in Zhejiang province. As market data reveals the rapid expansion of the nuclear sector over the coming years, China has stated that ten newly approved nuclear reactors in the nation represent a combined investment of around $27.4 billion.
China has become the center of a new expansion of nuclear energy on the global stage
New market analysis data has revealed the rapid expansion of the international nuclear energy market by 2035, paving the way for a new era of energy generation led by the nuclear sector. At the moment, China boasts 58 operable reactors with a total combined output capacity of 56.9 GW. Notably, a further 30 reactors are currently under construction, with a combined energy output of approximately 34.4 GW. Add to that the ten new approvals granted by the State Council, and there can be no doubt that the accelerated rollout of the nuclear sector in China is well and truly underway.
