On 20 March, China’s first independently designed and built nuclear power plant celebrated the 40th anniversary of the start of construction. A series of commemorative activities were held at the Qinshan Nuclear Power Base.

Since construction began on 20 March 1985, Qinshan Nuclear Power Base has become China’s largest nuclear power base in terms of the number of units and reactor types. It currently operates nine units with a total installed capacity of 6660 MWe. Over the past 40 years, the base has safely generated more than 860 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 800 million tonnes.

Throughout its history, Qinshan Nuclear Power has championed independent innovation and taken responsibility for revitalizing national nuclear industry. It has forged a unique path for China’s nuclear power development and successfully renewed the operating licence for China’s first nuclear power unit. It has also published a total of 138 technical standards, including two international standards and seven national standards. It has cultivated two academicians and two “worker academicians” (outstanding technical experts who have risen from frontline worker positions and have been recognized for their exceptional skills and innovations), and has provided more than 3,500 nuclear power professionals across the country. It has also established a fully integrated management system for safe production and operation and a supporting assurance system.

Over the past 40 years, Qinshan Nuclear Power has pursued integrated development, with a cumulative investment of more than 85.8 billion yuan and tax payments of more than 60 billion yuan. It has fostered the growth of more than 130 nuclear power-related enterprises and created more than 20,000 jobs. In 2021, Qinshan Nuclear Power pioneered nuclear-powered heating in three districts of Haiyan County, marking the first such initiative in southern China. In 2024, China’s first online isotope production facility integrated with a commercial nuclear reactor was officially launched at the Qinshan Nuclear Power Base, ending China’s long dependence on imports for vital medical isotopes. Cobalt-60 can now be produced on a large scale, and the supply of carbon-14 has been fully localized. Qinshan Nuclear Power is also working with Haiyan to build a national demonstration base for the application of nuclear technology, aiming to create an industrial cluster covering nearly 1,000 hectares with an annual output value of 100 billion yuan by 2035.

(Source: China National Nuclear Corporation)