Huaneng Group's Changjiang nuclear power phase II project in Hainan has started commercial operation of its unit 3, the first "Hualong One" reactor in the province.

The unit is Huaneng's first large pressurized water reactor built under its controlling stake, following the Shidaowan high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, and marks the company's entry into commercial operation of third-generation PWR technology, forming a nuclear development pattern of "fourth-generation high-temperature reactor demonstration plus third-generation PWR commercial operation".

The phase II project plans two 1.2 GW nuclear units and is currently Hainan's largest power construction project. It adopts China's self-developed "Hualong One" third-generation PWR technology, advances independent nuclear design and domestic equipment manufacturing, and uses a combination of active and passive safety design concepts to significantly improve reliability and safety.

Liu Bin, general manager and deputy party secretary of Huaneng Hainan Changjiang Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., said the project, once fully built, will generate 18 TWh of electricity annually, saving more than 6.32 million tonnes of standard coal and cutting about 11.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year. This will provide clean, safe and efficient energy support for the Hainan Free Trade Port and help China achieve its "dual carbon" goals.

Relying on the phase II project, Huaneng has established a management model of "joint commissioning, independent supervision and efficient takeover" and strengthened nuclear talent training to support long-term safe and stable operation. The project implemented 86 design optimizations, with the equipment localization rate reaching 98.1%. Huaneng's self-developed, fully independent nuclear power production management system HAP has been put into full use, integrating video monitoring, 5G communications and AI technologies to provide digital support for safe nuclear unit operation.