China’s first nationally-made nuclear reactor goes into operation

China has powered up its first domestically developed nuclear reactor – the Hualong One – a milestone in Beijing’s attempts to become less dependent on Western allies for energy security and critical technology.

The reactor, which was connected to the national grid on Friday, can generate 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year and reduce carbon emissions by 8.16 million tonnes, according to the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).

“This marks China’s break from the monopoly on foreign nuclear technology and its official entry into the first group of advanced technology countries,” CNNC said in a statement.

Nuclear power plants provided less than 5% of China’s annual electricity needs in 2019, according to the National Energy Administration, but that share is expected to increase as Beijing attempts to become carbon neutral by 2060.

Reducing its dependence on Western allies in critical high-tech sectors such as power generation is a key goal of Beijing’s Made in China 2025 plan.

Billions of dollars in government subsidies have been given to Chinese companies to speed up the process – a move that angered China’s trading partners and sparked a long trade dispute with Washington.

Work on the Hualong One reactor began in 2015 and there are currently six other reactors under construction in the country and abroad, said CNNC, the operator of the state-owned plant.

The Hualong One, deployed at a plant in eastern China’s Fujian Province, will be put into commercial service by the end of the year after undergoing testing.

China has 47 nuclear power plants with a total production capacity of 48.75 million kilowatts – the third highest in the world after the United States and France.

Beijing has invested billions of dollars to develop its nuclear power sector in recent years as it struggles to wean its economy off coal.

Thirteen nuclear power plants are under construction, more than in any other country, despite environmental and safety concerns.

In August 2016, officials were forced to suspend plans to install nuclear waste in Lianyungang, a city in eastern Jiangsu province, after a rare public protest by thousands of residents.