China Calls for Advancing SMR Innovation and Strengthening Global Nuclear Energy Cooperation

During the 70th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, China on the 14th hosted a side event themed "Pooling Efforts for SMR Innovation, Building a Nuclear-Beautiful Home Together," focusing on strengthening international cooperation on small modular reactors (SMRs) worldwide, promoting technological innovation, standards coordination, capacity building and related deployment and application, and providing support for global climate governance and sustainable development. At the side event themed "Pooling Efforts for SMR Innovation, Building a Nuclear-Beautiful Home Together," Shan Zhongde, Director of the China Atomic Energy Authority, said that China regards nuclear energy as an important option for building a new energy system and achieving the carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals, and, relying on a complete nuclear industry innovation chain, industrial chain and talent chain, has become one of the pioneers and pathbreakers in SMR development and deployment...

2026-09-18

Ningde Nuclear Power adopts AR maintenance solution, greatly boosting the efficiency of frontline operation and maintenance personnel

On September 9, at the production command center of Ningde Nuclear Power Plant, staff members only need to put on lightweight AR smart helmets and can obtain the required work information through voice commands. Equipment temperature and vibration data are automatically entered into the system, greatly shortening the time for inspection data entry. This AR smart helmet is an important benchmark project of Ningde Nuclear Power as a pilot enterprise for digital transformation under SASAC. It integrates information such as operation data, equipment drawings, work packages, and training materials, changing the traditional model in which nuclear power personnel rely on paper documents for on-site operations. This AR maintenance platform relies on technologies such as diffractive optical waveguides, 5G real-time transmission, and cross-system data interoperability, and integrates temperature measurement, vibration measurement...

2026-09-18

Professor Yan Lixin's Research Group in the Department of Engineering Physics at Tsinghua University Collaborates to Achieve a Beyond-Megawatt Average Power Laser Optical Enhancement Cavity

Recently, the research group of Professor Yan Lixin from the Department of Engineering Physics at Tsinghua University, in collaboration with the team of Professor Fabian Zomer from IJCLab at Université Paris-Saclay, France, published important progress in the field of high-finesse optical enhancement cavities. The research team achieved a four-mirror bow-tie optical cavity with an average laser power exceeding 1 megawatt and its stable operation at the Tsinghua University Accelerator Laboratory, with a maximum intracavity average power of 1.15 MW, while maintaining an excellent Gaussian fundamental mode. This is the first published work internationally on an optical enhancement cavity with an intracavity average laser power reaching the megawatt level, which will lay a solid foundation for important applications such as the development of steady-state microbunching (SSMB) extreme ultraviolet light sources, quantum electrodynamics (QED) vacuum nonlinearity detection, ion beam photoneutralization for magnetic confinement fusion, and the development of future inertial confinement fusion reactors.

2026-09-18

The "Hualong One Independent Innovation Journey" themed interview event was successfully held in Lüsigang, Qidong, Jiangsu

On September 14, the "Hualong One Independent Innovation Journey" themed interview event was held in Lüsigang, Qidong, Jiangsu. Hualong One is China's third-generation pressurized water reactor nuclear power technology with fully independent intellectual property rights. It is known as the "national calling card" of nuclear power and a ‌major national heavy equipment‌, marking that China's nuclear power technology has entered the world's first tier. As one of the important industrial platforms of CNNC for laying out intelligent manufacturing and cultivating new quality productive forces, the Heneng Intelligent Manufacturing Qidong Intelligent Manufacturing Base carries the important mission of transforming the nuclear industry's cutting-edge manufacturing capabilities into the field of high-end civil equipment. The base covers an area of approximately 311 mu, with plans to build 7 core production lines, supported by intelligent unmanned warehousing, and can provide intelligent inspection...

2026-09-17

Hainan Free Trade Port's first "Hualong One", Huaneng Changjiang Nuclear Power Phase II Unit 3 is about to be officially put into operation

The first Hualong One nuclear power unit in the Hainan Free Trade Port, Huaneng Changjiang Nuclear Power Phase II Unit 3, is about to officially enter commercial operation. Huaneng Changjiang Nuclear Power Phase II is equipped with China's independently developed third-generation Hualong One nuclear power technology and adopts the country's first fully independently controllable group-level nuclear power production management system. It can deliver more than 9 billion kWh of clean electricity to the Hainan power grid each year. The Huaneng Changjiang Nuclear Power Phase II project plans to build Unit 3 and Unit 4, two units with a single-unit capacity of 1.2 million kilowatts. After the two units are fully completed, the annual power generation can reach 18 billion kWh, enough to meet the electricity demand of one-third of Hainan Province's population. Huaneng Changjiang Nuclear Power Phase II Unit 3 is about to be officially put...

2026-09-17

China Launches Global Network for Small Modular Reactor Innovation

On Tuesday, September 15, during the 70th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) held in Vienna, the China Atomic Energy Authority officially launched the Global Network for SMR Innovation (GNSI). The network aims to promote technological progress, standard-setting, and deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs), helping to improve the safety, economics, and accessibility of nuclear energy in support of climate action and sustainable development. At the launch and promotion event held in Vienna, participants stated that small modular reactors are expected to play a key role in the global expansion of nuclear energy, with applications far beyond conventional power generation, including offshore power supply, high-temperature hydrogen production, district heating, and seawater desalination.

2026-09-16

Construction of the "Helong-2" project begins, advancing toward hydrogen-boron fusion power generation

On September 15, the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction project of ENN Fusion's spherical torus hydrogen-boron plasma platform (the Helong-2 device) was grandly held at the ENN Fusion R&D Center in Langfang Economic and Technological Development Zone, Hebei Province. The Helong-2 construction project covers approximately 120 mu and focuses on building more than ten core systems to create the world's leading hydrogen-boron fusion experimental platform; the park is expected to be ready for equipment entry by the end of June 2027, complete device construction and commissioning and enter the experimental phase by the end of 2027, with the goal of lighting the first lamp of hydrogen-boron fusion by 2030. Planning rendering of the Helong-2 spherical torus hydrogen-boron fusion park. Officials from relevant departments of Hebei Province and Langfang City, and heads of the project construction unit, design unit, construction unit, and supervision unit attended the groundbreaking ceremony and jointly laid the foundation and turned soil for the project.

2026-09-16

Core Makeup Tank for Xudabao Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 Arrives at Project Site

On September 14, the core makeup tank for Xudabao Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 arrived at the Xudabao Nuclear Power Project site. The core makeup tank is an important passive engineered safety feature of the reactor coolant system and a major large-scale equipment on the construction path of the reactor building. During the manufacturing of this equipment, Liaoning Nuclear Power cooperated with China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd. by stationing personnel at the factory for full-process coordination, implementing dynamic control of equipment quality and manufacturing progress through "daily tracking and weekly assessment," and ensuring the smooth completion and on-schedule delivery of the core makeup tank for Unit 2 to the project site through measures such as optimizing production processes and implementing continuous operations, thus creating favorable conditions for the orderly commencement of main construction of the reactor building. Subsequently, the Equipment Procurement Department of Liaoning Nuclear Power...

2026-09-16

Module III of the steel liner of the nuclear island containment vessel for Unit 1 of the Jiangsu Xuwei Nuclear Heating and Power Plant was hoisted into place

On September 15, good news came from the construction milestone of Unit 1 of the Jiangsu Xuwei Nuclear Heating and Power Plant — the first nuclear power unit to start construction during China's 15th Five-Year Plan period — as Module III of the steel liner of the nuclear island containment vessel was successfully hoisted into place, marking another key progress in the project's main construction. Module III hoisted this time adopted a two-layer cylindrical wall panel assembly structure, with a module dead weight of 133 tonnes, an overall lifting weight of 258.52 tonnes, a module body height of 11 meters, and a hoisting elevation of 15.75 meters. As the module landed smoothly in place, the already installed Module I and Module II were connected with Module III as one integrated unit, bringing the cumulative overall height of the containment vessel steel liner cylinder to 31.45 meters. The containment vessel is the core safety barrier of the nuclear island, and the steel liner...

2026-09-16

Symposium on Frontier Progress and Key Engineering Issues of Controlled Nuclear Fusion Held in Beijing

On August 30, a small-scale high-end brand exchange event—the Symposium on Frontier Progress and Key Engineering Issues of Controlled Nuclear Fusion, supported by the China Association for Science and Technology and hosted by the Chinese Nuclear Society—was held at the China Science and Technology Hall. More than 20 frontline experts from universities, research institutes, and industry engaged in exchange and discussion on relevant topics. The event focused on the strategic needs of national low-carbon transition and energy self-sufficiency and security, discussed frontier progress and key issues in the engineering implementation of controlled nuclear fusion, and aimed to help cultivate strategic emerging industries and accelerate the building of an energy powerhouse. Professor Luan Benli of Yantai University served as executive chairman, and Professor Liu Shichang of North China Electric Power University served as academic secretary. The symposium featured...

2026-09-15

ITER Organization Deputy Director-General Luo Delong and his delegation visited China Fusion Energy Co., Ltd. for research and guidance

On September 11, Luo Delong, Deputy Director-General of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Organization, and his delegation visited China Fusion Energy Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "China Fusion") for research and guidance, gaining an in-depth understanding of China Fusion's overall development situation and the progress of key task implementation. Zhang Libo, General Manager of China Fusion, accompanied the research visit. During the visit, both parties held a special symposium. On behalf of China Fusion, Zhang Libo extended a warm welcome to Luo Delong and his delegation, and expressed sincere gratitude to the ITER Organization and Mr. Luo Delong for their concern, support, and guidance regarding China Fusion's development and the fulfillment of ITER Project-related tasks. At the meeting, Zhong Wulv, Chief Engineer of China Fusion, delivered an overall situation report, focusing on...

2026-09-14

Yuan Xu Appointed Vice General Manager of China Huaneng Group

The latest update to the "Group Leaders" section on the official website of China Huaneng Group Co., Ltd. shows that Yuan Xu has been appointed Vice General Manager and Member of the Party Leadership Group of China Huaneng Group. Public information shows that Yuan Xu previously served as Chairman and Party Secretary of China Zhongyuan Foreign Engineering Co., Ltd. Yuan Xu, in January 2025, was appointed Director, Party Secretary, and General Manager of China Nuclear Uranium Co., Ltd., Chairman and Party Secretary of China Uranium Co., Ltd., and Director and Party Secretary of the China Nuclear Geology Bureau. Now taking up this new post. China Huaneng Group Co., Ltd. was founded in 1985 and is a key state-owned comprehensive energy group with electricity as its core, multi-energy synergy, innovation leadership, financial support, and global layout....

2026-09-14

Hualong One Version 2.0 Independent Innovation Achievements Presented in Beijing

On September 11, the "Road of Independent Innovation for Hualong One" media tour was launched in Beijing, focusing on presenting the independent innovation achievements and technical advantages of Hualong One Version 2.0. According to reports, Hualong One Version 2.0 adopts Chinese standards and has the capability for 100% domestic production of key equipment, with its safety performance indicators ranking in the first tier among large pressurized water reactors globally. Hualong One is a million-kilowatt-class Generation III pressurized water reactor nuclear power technology developed on the basis of China's more than 40 years of experience in nuclear power research and development, design, manufacturing, construction, and operation, and possesses fully independent intellectual property rights. Hualong One Version 2.0, building on the summary of engineering construction and operational experience of Hualong One, has been launched through independent innovation and overall coordination...

2026-09-12

First Supercapacitor Pulsed Power Supply System of the HL-3 Upgrade Project Successfully Handed Over

On September 10, the 300MVA/3000MJ supercapacitor pulsed power supply system of the HL-3 upgrade project was successfully handed over. This is the first system of the project to complete handover, marking that the project construction is gradually transitioning from the equipment installation and subsystem static commissioning stage to the system joint commissioning stage, providing support for advancing fusion engineering. Zhang Libo, President and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Southwestern Institute of Physics, and Chen Qingchuan, Vice President, attended the handover ceremony. Zhang Libo stated at the ceremony that the completion of the handover of the first system is the result of collaborative efforts by all participating units, accumulating experience and creating conditions for subsequent system joint commissioning. All parties will continue to consolidate responsibilities and advance key milestones on schedule....

2026-09-12

China Attends the Launch Meeting of the IAEA's "Application of Technology License for At-Sea Nuclear Energy (ATLAS)" Initiative

Recently, the launch meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s "Application of Technology License for At-Sea Nuclear Energy (ATLAS)" Initiative was held in Washington, D.C., the United States. The meeting was organized by the IAEA and hosted by the U.S. government, with approximately 600 representatives attending, including senior government officials, leaders from the nuclear and maritime industries, and technical experts from more than 50 countries and international organizations. Officials from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (National Nuclear Safety Administration), the China Atomic Energy Authority, and the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment attended the meeting. The ATLAS Initiative aims to promote the development and deployment of civil nuclear-powered ships and floating nuclear power plants by establishing a global framework that integrates nuclear safety, nuclear security, and nuclear safeguards. At the opening of the meeting...

2026-09-11

Director of the Division of Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety, Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, IAEA, Van den Howe, Visits the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment

On September 8, 2026, Ms. Hildegard Van den Howe, Director of the Division of Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety, Department of Nuclear Safety and Security, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), visited the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (hereinafter referred to as the Center). Chai Guohan, Director of the Center, and heads of relevant departments participated in the exchange activities. At present, cooperation between the Center and the IAEA is continuously deepening. Since being designated by the IAEA in May 2023 as the world's first Collaborating Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety, the Center has, relying on this platform, successfully hosted high-level activities such as the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Leadership Workshop, the ANSN Regional Workshop, and multiple international training sessions, with the platform's clustering and radiation effects becoming increasingly prominent. The Center has always been a trusted partner of the IAEA.

2026-09-11

CGN's 33 in-operation nuclear power units achieve RMB-denominated pricing and settlement for operational period insurance

On September 10, the "CGN In-Service Nuclear Power Plant Operational Period Insurance Project Co-Insurance Agreement" was signed in Shenzhen. The agreement achieves RMB-denominated pricing and settlement for major types of nuclear power plant operational period insurance, changing the convention of China's nuclear insurance market's over thirty years of primarily relying on foreign currency transactions. Nuclear insurance is an important type of insurance for ensuring the safe and stable operation of nuclear power units. Due to the enormous insured amount of a single policy, it typically requires joint underwriting by hundreds of insurance companies both domestically and internationally, and is regarded by the insurance industry as one of the most special and complex types of insurance. Since China's first nuclear power plant operational insurance policy——the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant operational insurance policy——was issued in 1993, China's nuclear power industry has long followed mature foreign models...

2026-09-11

Yanchaojuneng Completes VPI of Stainless Steel-Jacketed Superconducting Prototype Coil for Stellarator

Recently, Yanchaojuneng (Shanghai) Technology Co., Ltd. completed vacuum pressure impregnation (VPI) of a next-generation stellarator stainless steel-jacketed three-dimensional shaped superconducting prototype coil. Previously, the prototype coil had completed two core processes: three-dimensional precision winding and ground insulation wrapping. The completion of VPI signifies that the company has established an autonomous process chain from coil winding and forming, insulation wrapping, to integrated insulation curing. The stellarator is an important device type for steady-state operation in the field of controlled nuclear fusion, capable of reducing the risk of major plasma disruptions. Three-dimensional shaped superconducting coils are the core components for building the magnetic field that confines plasma in a stellarator. Public information shows that Germany's W7-X stellarator uses aluminum alloy jackets...

2026-09-10

Shidaowan High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor Demonstration Project Launches Mobilization and Deployment for Second Major Overhaul

On September 9, Shidaowan Nuclear Power Company held a mobilization meeting for the second major overhaul of the High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor Demonstration Project, deploying the overall arrangements and control requirements for the HS-OT002 overhaul. Zhang Yanxu, Chairman and Party Committee Secretary of Shidaowan Nuclear Power Company, delivered a mobilization speech. Chang Chongxi, Overhaul Commander-in-Chief, General Manager, and Deputy Party Committee Secretary, presided over the meeting. Members of the leadership team attended the meeting. Zhang Yanxu stated that the High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor Demonstration Project is a landmark project of China's independent innovation in fourth-generation nuclear power, and its safe and stable operation has drawn attention from relevant departments, the nuclear power industry, and employees of Shidaowan Nuclear Power Company. The demonstration project has operated safely and stably for 473 consecutive days, during which multiple...

2026-09-10

Construction Site Leveling and Excavation Kicks Off for Hualong One Version 2.0 Demonstration Project of Zhejiang Jinqimen Nuclear Power Phase II

On the morning of September 9, Zhejiang Jinqimen Nuclear Power held a mobilization meeting for high-quality construction of the Hualong One Version 2.0 demonstration project of Phase II, marking the full launch of site leveling and excavation work for Phase II. At the event, Yao Zhaohong, General Manager of Jinqimen Nuclear Power, presented the flag to the Party Member Commando Team for High-Quality Commencement of the Demonstration Project. Zhong Hua, Party Secretary and Chairman of Jinqimen Nuclear Power, delivered a mobilization speech and announced the start of site leveling and excavation work. At 11:11, the first blast for the main excavation of Phase II was successfully detonated, marking that the project construction has entered a stage of accelerated advancement. The mobilization meeting stated that Jinqimen Nuclear Power undertakes the task of constructing the Hualong One Version 2.0 demonstration project, and all participating units and builders must fulfill safety and quality responsibilities, adhere to safety first and quality first, steadily advance project construction, and build a high-standard "New Quality Hualong Demonstration Project."

2026-09-10

People's Daily Focuses on "Hualong One" Zhangzhou Nuclear Power

On September 8, the People's Daily client and the Vision client turned their lenses to Hualong One Zhangzhou Nuclear Power, presenting the entire process of the nuclear island polar crane bridge lifting at Unit 4 of Zhangzhou Nuclear Power in an 8-hour slow live broadcast. This was not only a visual feast of a national heavyweight project, but also a cloud-based review of Hualong One's solid strength. With over one million viewers witnessing online, it showcased Hualong One's millimeter-level engineering precision and the resolute pace of its batch construction, conveying to the world China's confidence and strength in independent innovation in nuclear power through the lens. Documentary of Unit 4 Nuclear Island Polar Crane Bridge Lifting. This slow live broadcast focused on the lifting site of the nuclear island polar crane bridge at Unit 4 of Zhangzhou Nuclear Power...

2026-09-09