UK nod for Hualong One signals milestone

China's homegrown Hualong One, a domestically designed and manufactured third-generation nuclear reactor, has been confirmed as authorized for use in Britain, which will likely make it more competitive on the global stage, said an analyst.

The reactor has met the standard of the Generic Design Assessment, according to a joint statement issued on Monday by the British Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency.

The homegrown nuclear technology will be used at a nuclear power plant in Bradwell, England, which will consist of two units with a total installed capacity of 2.4 million kilowatts. It is conducted by a joint venture between China General Nuclear Power Corp and EDF Energy.

The reactor's deployment at the Bradwell B site will be the first time ever that Chinese technology is used in a developed economy, said designer CGN on Monday.

An analyst said the UK regulatory approval at Bradwell for its Hualong One technology will also help market it in other countries and make the technology better received in the global market, especially in countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Luo Zuoxian, head of intelligence and research at the Sinopec Economics and Development Research Institute, said China's infrastructure capabilities make it a highly credible partner.

"China, with advantages in installed capacity and technological superiority, will see its nuclear technology further exported in the years to come. It is highly likely that nuclear power will witness a growing percentage in the energy mix worldwide, and the nuclear sector is expected to become a new area of international cooperation in energy," Luo said.

With a design life of 60 years, Hualong One meets the highest global security standards. It is developed and designed on the basis of more than 30 years of nuclear power research, design, manufacturing, construction and operation.

Considering the global energy shortage, the international community increasingly has a more tolerant attitude toward nuclear power despite still-existing controversies and disputes, Luo added.

CGN first entered the UK market in 2016 when it signed a deal with EDF to jointly invest in three nuclear plants. China is hoping to further use its third-generation Hualong One design to boost its presence in the overseas nuclear power sector.

China's first overseas Hualong One nuclear reactor in Pakistan started commercial operations last year after passing a 100-hour inspection process, a milestone of China's third-generation nuclear power technology, with complete proprietary intellectual property rights. It is also making further plans to build projects in Argentina.

Construction began on unit 5 of CNNC's Fuqing nuclear power plant, the world's first Hualong One demonstration project, in May 2015. It entered commercial operation on Jan 30, 2021, making China one of the few nations that truly mastered the third generation of nuclear technologies after the United States, France and Russia. On Jan 1, unit 6 at China's Fuqing nuclear power plant in Fujian province was connected to the grid, the third worldwide using Hualong One technology that is connected to grid after the Pakistan plant and unit 5 in China's Fujian province.