Tianwan 7 brought to minimum controllable power level

Rosatom's Tianwan unit 7 in China has achieved criticality and reached minimum controllable power on 29 September 2026, five years after construction began in May 2021. Fuel loading occurred in August. The reactor will now undergo staged testing and power-ramp procedures before commercial operation, scheduled for 2026. When all eight units at the site reach operation, total capacity will exceed 9 GW. Units 1 through 4 use Russian VVER designs; units 5 and 6 are Chinese ACPR1000 reactors; units 7 and 8 are Russian VVER-1200 units built under a 2018 Russia-China agreement.

Where this fits

This milestone illustrates the pace at which the world is deploying firm nuclear capacity outside the Anglosphere. Russia and China are executing a coordinated nuclear build with clear timelines and shared technical standards. The contrast with Australia is acute: while Tianwan adds 2.4 GW of dispatchable, low-emission generation, Australia remains locked in a renewables-only trajectory by law, despite the grid's proven need for firm power to manage weather-dependent output. This is a sovereignty issue as much as a reliability one.

What it means

Australia's energy security now depends on the reliability of gas plants to firm a renewable grid, locking in ongoing exposure to fuel-price volatility and supply-chain risk. The alternative, a firm, low-emission, long-lived nuclear fleet, remains legally barred. Tianwan 7's progression to full power demonstrates that nuclear construction timelines are achievable; Australia has chosen a different path.