Workers have poured the first concrete for the nuclear island at the Xuwei plant in Jiangsu province. The milestone marks the official start of construction on the world’s first commercial “Chilong-1” reactor. The project sets a precedent for using nuclear energy to power large-scale chemical manufacturing.
Unlike conventional nuclear sites built almost exclusively for the electrical grid, the Xuwei complex will function primarily as an industrial steam supplier. It provides heat directly to nearby petrochemical refineries while sending surplus electricity to the regional network.
Once fully operational, its first phase will provide 32.5 million tonnes of industrial steam each year and generate over 11.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. Replacing fossil fuels here will cut standard coal use by 7.26 million tonnes each year. According to official estimates, this will prevent nearly 19.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
The plant achieves this output through an unusual hybrid design. It will pair two distinct nuclear technologies on a single site. These nuclear technologies are “Hualong One” pressurized water reactors and the “Chilong-1” high-temperature gas-cooled reactor.
Using a coordinated control architecture
The system runs in sequence to produce steam with exact thermodynamic properties. Main steam from the third-generation Hualong One first turns demineralized water into saturated steam. The fourth-generation Chilong-1 then takes that steam and superheats it further, yielding three separate grades of high-temperature steam tailored for petrochemical refining.
To manage this tandem operation safely, plant operators will use a unified “reactor-machine-heat” coordinated control architecture. It is the first time a commercial facility has run both reactor types under a single integrated heat-delivery framework.
Jointly developed by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and Tsinghua University, the Chilong-1 relies on fourth-generation nuclear principles that emphasize passive safety. The reactor is designed to remain safe during severe system failures without requiring active operator intervention or external power supplies. Even under complete coolant loss, the physics of the core prevents a meltdown and blocks large releases of radioactive material.
A modular layout
The reactor also uses a modular layout. Individual units produce relatively modest amounts of power on their own, but engineers can link multiple modules together depending on regional energy needs. Beyond supplying industrial process heat, the high temperatures produced by the core make the reactor well suited for large-scale hydrogen production and efficient electrical generation.
China Nuclear Power Investment, a subsidiary of CNNC, manages the Xuwei site. The first phase includes two Hualong One reactors alongside the single Chilong-1 unit. Work on the first Hualong One began on 16 January.
“It opens a new chapter in providing a replicable and scalable “Chinese solution” for the low-carbon transformation of high-energy-consuming industries worldwide, injecting strong momentum into the realization of global carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals,” the Global Times reported at the time.
When completed, the plant will serve as a permanent low-carbon heat and power anchor for the Lianyungang petrochemical industrial base.