China's Tianwan nuclear power plant unit 7 in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, has completed its first nuclear fuel loading, marking a key milestone toward commercial operation.

The fuel loading, which began August 12 and concluded August 18, involved 163 fuel assemblies using a fully automated remote loading system. The unit is China's first VVER-1200 third-generation reactor under construction, a flagship project of China-Russia nuclear energy cooperation.

The plant, operated by China National Nuclear Corp (CNNC), is the world's largest nuclear base by total installed capacity including units under construction and in operation. Unit 7 will now proceed with reactor reassembly, criticality testing, turbine testing and grid connection.

Tianwan plans eight units in total, with units 1-6 already operational and having generated over 500 TWh of electricity cumulatively. Units 7 and 8, each with 1.27 GW capacity and a 60-year design life, are scheduled to enter commercial operation in 2026 and 2027 respectively. Once all eight units are running, total capacity will exceed 9 GW, generating over 70 TWh annually and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 57.4 million tonnes per year.