goingcritical:changjiang-3China · Power reactor
Changjiang-3
Status: Critical since July 10, 2026 Reactor status full glossary → Announced Publicly announced — a site and design are proposed, but construction has not begun. Site preparation Early site and civil works are under way; the first safety-related ("nuclear") concrete has not yet been poured. Under construction Formal construction has begun, marked by the first nuclear concrete. Fuel loaded Nuclear fuel has been loaded into the core. The reactor is fuelled but has not yet gone critical. Critical Has reached first criticality — a self-sustaining chain reaction, usually at low power — but is not yet connected to the grid. Grid connected Synchronised to the electrical grid and exporting power for the first time, but still in commissioning and power-ascension testing — not yet in commercial service. In commercial operation — the operator has formally declared the unit in regular commercial service. Shut down Permanently shut down and no longer generating; may be defuelled, undergoing decommissioning, or preserved in place. Canceled Abandoned before completion.
Site: Changjiang, Hainan
First criticality achieved at 18:00 local time on 10 July 2026 (CNNC, via WNN) — the second HPR-1000 unit of Changjiang Phase II; both Phase II units are expected to be fully operational in early 2027
Details
| Design | HPR-1000 (Hualong One) |
| Electrical output | 1,000 MWe |
Milestone history
- Announced —
- Construction start March 31, 2021
- Fuel load April 30, 2026
- First criticality July 10, 2026
- Grid connection —
- Commercial operation —