China's New Nuclear Projects See Record 20% Private Investor Stake as Investment and Revenue Rise(Yicai) Aug. 6 -- Private capital participated in all of China's newly approved nuclear power projects last year, with the highest equity stake reaching a record 20 percent, while investment and electricity sales revenue also increased, according to a government report from the country with the world's largest nuclear construction pipeline.
China approved 10 new nuclear power units with a combined capacity of 12.1 million kilowatts across the administrative regions of Zhejiang, Shandong, Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi last year. The five projects, with total investment of CNY208.3 billion (USD29 billion), attracted 10 private enterprises, and the largest equity stake held by a private investor reached 20 percent, the highest level on record, according to the China Nuclear Energy Development Report 2026 released by the National Energy Administration today.
The report shows that investment in ongoing nuclear power projects totaled about CNY161 billion last year, up almost 14 percent from a year earlier, while revenue from nuclear power sales rose nearly 3 percent to CNY172 billion.
The report also said that nuclear power is expected to gradually enter China's electricity market. As the country builds a unified national electricity market, it called for further research into policy mechanisms for nuclear power's participation in the market and for institutional arrangements that reflect its low-carbon value to improve its market competitiveness.
By the end of 2025, China had 112 nuclear power units in operation, under construction, or approved for construction, with a combined capacity of 125 million kilowatts, almost three times the level in 2012.
Of those, 59 operational units had installed capacity of about 62.5 million kilowatts, ranking third globally behind the United States and France. Another 53 units under construction or approved for construction had combined capacity of 62.9 million kilowatts, allowing China to maintain the world's largest nuclear power construction pipeline for a 19th consecutive year.
Editor: Emmi Laine
