Construction of Hualong One unit began in December 2019
Unit 1 of the Taipingling nuclear power station in China’s southern province of Guangdong has reached first criticality, owner China General Nuclear (CGN) said.
First criticality at a pressurised water reactor (PWR) is the moment when the reactor core achieves a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction for the first time.
It marks the transition from construction and fuel loading into nuclear commissioning, at very low power levels.
CGN said first criticality for the 1,116-MW domestic Hualong One PWR unit was achieved on 1 February 2026.
Construction of Taipingling-1 began in December 2019. Fuel was loaded into the reactors core in January 2026 after an operating licence was granted in December 2025.
CGN previously said there will be six domestic Hualong One pressurised water reactor units at the Taipingling site. Units 1 and 3 have been under construction since December 2019 and June 2025.
The Hualong One, also known as the HPR1000, is a domestically developed PWR that combines features from China National Nuclear Corporation’s ACP1000 and China General Nuclear’s ACPR1000+ designs.
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) database of nuclear plants in China says China has 58 plants in commercial operation and 29 under construction.
However, construction has begun of another seven units that are not listed by the IAEA, bringing the number to 36. About half of those are domestic Hualong One units.
