Hualong One during construction
However, China’s NPPs still only generate a small fraction of the annual energy needs of the country with some estimates ranging from 4 – 5% of the total.
As China pushes forward its ‘Made in China 2025’ plan though, with increased independence in the field of energy generation, and as the nation attempts to reach a carbon neutral status over the next 40 years, this number is expected to increase.
The addition of the Hualong One, in south east China’s Fujian province across the Taiwan Strait from Taiwan, is also expected to help offset national carbon emissions by around 8.16 million tons when the plant is fully operational in early 2021.