Published on October 2, 2019.
This article examines China’s nuclear power development, including the construction of third-generation reactors such as EPR, AP1000, and Hualong One, as well as next-generation technologies such as HTGR, SMR, fast neutron reactors, thorium molten-salt reactors, and traveling-wave reactors, arguing that China’s speed, scale, and export strategy pose a serious challenge to Europe, America, and Japan.

October 2, 2019.
The Flamanville Nuclear Power Plant under construction in France was delayed because of problems, but China overtook France and Finland, which had been ahead, and began transmitting electricity on June 29 of this year.
The following is a continuation of the previous chapter.
In addition to the construction of third-generation reactors such as Hualong One, which China intends to make the centerpiece of its overseas exports by adding its own improvements to French designs, China is also constructing next-generation high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, HTGRs, and demonstration small modular reactors, SMRs.
July 15, 2019.
Ambition for world domination through nuclear power.
In Japan, the advanced boiling water reactor, ABWR, first adopted at Unit 6 of the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, which began operation in 1996, is the latest reactor type among existing nuclear power plants, and there are also construction plans for advanced pressurized water reactors, APWRs.
Meanwhile, in the development stage, there is the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute’s high-temperature gas reactor, the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor, HTTR, with an output of 30,000 kW, and research on fast reactors and nuclear fusion reactors is also being advanced.
In China, in addition to the construction of third-generation reactors such as EPR, AP1000, and Hualong One, which China intends to make the centerpiece of overseas exports by adding its own improvements to French designs, construction is also being carried out on next-generation high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, HTGRs, and demonstration small modular reactors, SMRs.
Furthermore, in technological development, various efforts are being ambitiously advanced, including fast neutron reactors, FNRs, thorium molten-salt reactors, TMSRs, traveling-wave reactors, TWRs, and low-temperature heat supply reactors, LTHRs.
In particular, China’s efforts toward next-generation reactor development are being carried out with a system and speed far exceeding those of Europe, America, and Japan, and are attracting the attention of the world.
EPR is the latest PWR of France’s former Areva, now Framatome, with an output of 1.66 million kW.
After Finland and France, in China, CGN invested 70 percent and Électricité de France, EDF, invested 30 percent in 2007 to establish Taishan Nuclear Power Joint Venture Company.
Construction of Unit 1 began in December 2009, and construction of Unit 2 began in April 2010.
The Flamanville Nuclear Power Plant under construction in France was delayed because of problems, but China overtook France and Finland, which had been ahead, and began transmitting electricity on June 29 of this year.
At present, work is proceeding toward commercial operation.
AP1000 is the latest PWR designed by Westinghouse of the United States, with an output of 1.25 million kW.
In China, Westinghouse and SNPTC agreed to build two units each at the Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant in Zhejiang Province and the Haiyang Nuclear Power Plant in Shandong Province.
Construction of Sanmen Unit 1 began in April 2009, and construction of Haiyang Unit 1 began in September 2009.
Sanmen Unit 1 began transmitting electricity on June 30 of this year and is currently preparing for commercial operation.
Furthermore, SNPTC has developed CAP1400, which improves AP1000 and raises output to 1.4 million kW, and it is planning to construct the first unit at Rongcheng Shidaowan in Shandong Province.
Hualong One, HL1000, is a third-generation reactor for which China holds the intellectual property rights.
CNNC successively began construction of Units 5 and 6 of the Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant in Fujian Province in May and December 2015.
CGN also developed a new reactor with a core design different from that of CNNC, and began construction of Units 3 and 4 at Fangchenggang in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in December 2015 and December 2016.
Although there are differences in their respective safety systems and supply chains, CNNC and CGN plan to integrate their designs and actively expand them as a new Hualong One into China’s inland regions and overseas.
Many observers view this as a threat to countries aiming to export nuclear power plants.