Groundwork begins for demonstration Hualong One 2.0 units

China has begun site preparation for Phase II of the Jinqimen nuclear power plant in Zhejiang Province, which will house two HPR1000 (Hualong One) units designated as demonstration projects for the Hualong One 2.0 design. The State Council approved the project in late July. Ground-breaking blasting commenced on 9 September following a mobilisation meeting. Phase I of the site, also two HPR1000 units, is already under construction, with first concrete poured in August 2024 and April 2025 respectively. Once all six planned units are complete, Jinqimen will generate approximately 55 TWh annually with 7.2 GW capacity. China National Nuclear Corporation notes that 10 Hualong One units are already operational domestically and internationally, with 37 more approved for construction.

Where this fits

This is a data point on the firm-power alternative Australia has foregone. While Australia pursues weather-dependent renewables, China is scaling a third-generation pressurised water reactor design rapidly through demonstration and deployment, iterating toward an advanced version. China's nuclear programme advances manufacturing scale, supply-chain integration, and operational experience at a pace Australia cannot match. The contrast is sharp: Australia banned nuclear by law while investing in battery and transmission overbuild to firm intermittent generation. China is building the firm backbone that undercuts the whole-system cost Australia will carry.

What it means

For Australian energy security, this shows the strategic divergence sharpening. China is consolidating mastery of both the renewables supply chain (panels, batteries, inverters) and firm generation technology. Australia depends on China for solar and battery imports to run a renewables-only grid, while losing the option to build firm, low-emission, domestically-operable nuclear capacity. The cost and autonomy gap will widen as China exports proven reactor designs to buyer nations, cementing its position as the source of both intermittent and dispatchable generation.