China has seen a dramatic increase in energy developments of national importance for Beijing. The recent announcement that the China Nuclear Power Corporation has commissioned the second Hualong One Unit at the Zhangzhou nuclear power plant has increased the nation’s nuclear energy output and paints an expansionary picture for the Chinese nuclear energy sector this year. China is aiming to win back the title as the number one energy producer in the world, which was recently taken over by the United States.
China’s Fujian province has become home to the nation’s newest nuclear energy development
The Zhangzhou nuclear facility has reshaped the regional nuclear sector and has positioned China to lead the resurgence of nuclear-based energy production over the coming years. The facility now features two Hualong One units, which have become a mainstay of the international nuclear energy sector as a litany of nations and facilities use the iconic Chinese-made reactor.
The owner of the Zhangzhou nuclear power project, CNNC-Guodian Zhangzhou Energy Company, received the blessings of the Chinese Communist Party as the Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued the necessary construction licenses for Zhangzhou units 1 and 2 in October 2019.
Construction works for Unit 1 began one week after the construction licenses were issued, and Unit 2 began construction in September of 2020. Unit 1 entered into commercial production on January 1st, 2025.
“This marks the full completion and commissioning of the first phase of the Zhangzhou nuclear power project, making an important contribution to optimising the national energy structure and achieving the ‘dual carbon’ goal.” – CNNC-Guodian Zhangzhou Energy Company
A new joint venture between CNNC (51%) and China Guodian Corporation (49%) was created in 2011 to advance the massive Zhangzhou nuclear power project, which has now completed the construction works for Unit 2 as the unit has entered into full-scale commercial production.
Unit 2 at the Zhangzhou nuclear power project reached a critical milestone last year
Notably, the loading of nuclear fuel for the second unit at the Zhangzhou nuclear power project began in October of last year, with the reactor reaching the critical milestone of first criticality on November 3, 2025. Once all six reactors are installed and fully operational, the Zhangzhou nuclear facility will generate an expected 60 billion kilowatt-hours of clean energy every year.
The remarkable energy output could potentially meet 75% of the electricity needs for the Xiamen and Zhangzhou cities in southern Fujian. The rapid expansion of the Chinese nuclear sector has been boosted by the recent news that the China Nuclear Power Corporation has poured the first concrete at the Jinqimen nuclear project in Zhejiang.
“All countries need to honor their commitments and responsibilities by adopting effective measures to secure nuclear materials and facilities. All countries should properly handle the relationship between nuclear security and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Nuclear security measures should help foster an enabling environment for peaceful use of nuclear energy by all countries and facilitate related international cooperation.” – Former Chinese President, Hu Jintao
The rapid expansion of the Chinese nuclear energy sector has placed China at the forefront of clean energy production as the vast majority of nations around the world aim to decarbonize their energy markets and develop more clean energy projects in the coming years to meet demand and drastically reduce emissions.
China Nuclear Power Corporation now holds a vicegrip on the nuclear energy sector
With the now operational Unit 2 at the Zhangzhou facility, the China Nuclear Power Corporation has stated that it now has 27 nuclear power units across the nation, and is planning to add up to four more units at the Zhangzhou nuclear power plant. China has been developing a massive nuclear power portfolio with several new nuclear energy plants set to reshape the regional clean energy supply.
