CGN expands clean power portfolio

China General Nuclear Power Group, the country's largest nuclear power plant operator by installed capacity, reported a significant expansion of its clean energy portfolio, with operational capacity reaching 113 million kilowatts by the end of 2025.

The State-owned giant successfully navigated the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) by securing approvals for 16 new nuclear power units, bringing its total capacity — including operational and under-construction projects — to over 56 million kW.

During the five-year period, CGN accelerated its nuclear program to support Beijing's carbon neutrality goals. It commenced construction on 10 units and meanwhile connected four units to the grid, said Ning Xiaoping, president of China Nuclear Power Engineering Co Ltd, a subsidiary of CGN.

By the end of 2025, CGN was simultaneously advancing the construction of 22 nuclear power units, ranking the company first in the world for the number of approved nuclear units currently under construction, he said.

"This milestone further cements CGN's position as a dominant force in the global nuclear energy landscape," said Ning.

"The rapid development of these units is a central pillar of China's national strategy to lead the global transition toward clean energy. It also ensures a steady pipeline of high-capacity, carbon-free power for the country's evolving grid."

Currently, CGN manages a fleet of 28 operational nuclear units, ensuring its continued status as the national leader in nuclear power scale.

Industry experts believe CGN's massive units under construction and 16 approvals during the 14th Five-Year Plan act as the primary engine for China's national nuclear expansion.

By maintaining the country's largest fleet, the group provides the stable, baseload power necessary to offset the intermittency of the country's surging wind and solar sectors, said Lin Boqiang, head of the China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy at Xiamen University.

China is set to become a global leader in operational nuclear power capacity by 2030, as it is progressively scaling up its nuclear infrastructure to claim the top global position within the next few years.

With the new medium — and long-term development plan for nuclear energy still under development, China Nuclear Energy Association anticipates the nation's nuclear capacity to reach 110 GW by 2030 and 150 GW by 2035.

According to the association, nuclear power will play a vital role as a key substitute for high-carbon energy sources and a mainstay for the stability of the new power system.

CITIC Securities said that with the accelerated approval of nuclear power projects, investments in new nuclear power plants in China were expected to reach 231 billion yuan ($33.3 billion) by the end of 2025, further stimulating the country's related industry chain.

The association said that by 2024, China had achieved 100 percent domestic origin for key main equipment in the nuclear power sector, ensuring the independent control of key component technologies.

According to Ning, China has reached a significant milestone in nuclear energy self-reliance, with the equipment localization rate for new Hualong One nuclear power units now surpassing 95 percent.

Hualong One is China's third-generation nuclear power technology with full intellectual property rights. It is also one of the most widely accepted series of third-generation nuclear power reactors in the world.

This breakthrough, which also aligns with the nation's 14th Five-Year Plan objectives to modernize the energy sector through innovation-led growth, marks a critical step in China's strategy to eliminate its dependence on foreign supply chains for its primary third-generation reactor technology.

CGN's domestic renewable energy segment experienced leapfrog development, with operational wind and solar capacity surpassing 70 million kW — a nearly threefold increase compared to the end of 2020.

In 2025 alone, CGN added 13.29 million kW of new domestic renewable capacity, marking its transition into a developer capable of delivering more than 10 million kW of new projects annually.

Beyond its borders, CGN's clean energy footprint now spans 18 countries and regions, with a controlling operational capacity exceeding 13 million kW. To date, CGN's overseas projects have delivered more than 370 billion kWh of clean electricity.