China Xuwei Nuclear Power Project: Powering Industry with 1,000°C Steam
The China Xuwei nuclear power project has broken ground, combining Gen-III and Gen-IV reactors to provide 1,000°C steam and electricity to a massive chemical plant.
1,000 degrees Celsius. That's the searing heat of the clean steam China's newest nuclear facility will pump into a world-class petrochemical complex. On January 21, 2026, reports confirmed that the China Xuwei nuclear power project has officially broken ground, marking a global first in multi-generational nuclear integration.
China Xuwei Nuclear Power Project: The World’s First Triad System
Located in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, the site is designed to be more than just a power station. It’s a specialized energy hub for the petrochemical industry. According to mainland media, construction of the nuclear island for Unit 1 began last Friday. This project is a centerpiece of China’s strategy to decarbonize heavy industrial sectors that have traditionally relied on coal and gas.
Bridging Gen-III and Gen-IV Technologies
The project uses a unique triad setup: two third-generation Hualong One pressurized water reactors and one fourth-generation high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR). While the Hualong One units provide stable electricity, the HTGR produces the ultra-high-temperature steam—up to 1,832 Fahrenheit—needed to break apart chemical molecules in industrial processes. Never before has a single facility integrated these technologies to provide both power and industrial-scale heat.
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