(Yicai) Sept. 7 -- China General Nuclear Power, a state-owned atomic and clean energy developer, has broken ground on the second Hualong One nuclear power unit of the Zhaoyuan project in China’s eastern Shandong province.

The first concrete pour of the nuclear island of Unit 2 of the Zhaoyuan Nuclear Power Plant was completed on Sept. 5, CGN told Yicai. The plant is expected to have six Hualong One atomic power units, with construction on the first unit starting last November.

Once fully completed, the Zhaoyuan Nuclear Power Plant is expected to generate up to 50 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, meeting the annual electricity needs of over five million people. This is equivalent to reducing standard coal consumption by about 15 million tons and carbon dioxide emissions by about 46.2 million tons per year, according to CGN estimates.

The Zhaoyuan Nuclear Power Plant is China's first third-generation nuclear power project equipped with cooling towers, which use air instead of seawater as a direct cooling source, significantly reducing energy consumption and ensuring the safety of the cooling source. Each unit will be equipped with a 203-meter-tall cooling tower with a spray area of 16,800 square meters.

The project is having a positive impact on the local industrial chain, as CGN has established partnerships with more than 300 enterprises in Shandong, said Yu Xiangdong, executive director of CGN’s local subsidiary Shandong Zhaoyuan Nuclear Power. The plant will also actively integrate into the local heating system to build a demonstration base for comprehensive nuclear energy utilization, he added.

In recent years, China has approved about 10 new nuclear power units annually. There are 58 units approved or under construction, with an installed capacity of 69.5 million kW, ranking first globally, according to the latest data from the National Energy Administration. The country also has 62 units in operation, with an installed capacity of 66.1 million kW, ranking second worldwide.

By 2030, China's nuclear power installed capacity in operation will reach about 110 million kW, supporting the country’s goal of carbon peaking, according to the carbon peaking action plan released by the State Council in July.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Futura Costaglione