In October 2026, the latest operational data of the domestic nuclear power industry was officially disclosed to the public. The total installed capacity of the industry under operation and construction continues to expand, and the global nuclear power industry pattern is undergoing profound changes.

The total installed capacity ranks first in the world

As of the third quarter of 2026, there are 120 operating and approved nuclear power plant combinations in mainland China, with a total installed capacity of 135 million kilowatts, maintaining the world's largest overall scale. Among them, there are a total of 64 operating units with an installed capacity of approximately 68.59 million kilowatts, currently ranking second in the world. There are 56 units under construction or approved for construction, with an installed capacity of approximately 67.1 million kilowatts, also ranking first in the world in terms of scale.

Based on the current pace of project construction, it is expected that the installed capacity of domestic nuclear power operation will leap to the top in the world by 2030, completing another important milestone in the development of the nuclear power industry. The annual total investment scale of the domestic nuclear power industry has exceeded 180 billion yuan, and the output value of related industries driven by the upstream and downstream of the entire industry chain has exceeded 800 billion yuan. A complete independent technology manufacturing, construction and operation system has been formed.

Long term leading level of safe operation

All operating nuclear power units in China have never experienced an international nuclear event classification of level 2 or above, and the WANO comprehensive index has consistently ranked among the world's top in terms of the number and average of units with full marks. As of the end of September 2026, the cumulative safe operation time of domestically operated nuclear power units has exceeded 4600 reactor years, and the average utilization hours of the units have remained stable at over 7500 hours, with power generation utilization efficiency ranking among the world's leading levels. Keywords: nuclear power, nuclear power units

With the continuous increase in the stability pressure of the power system brought about by the large-scale integration of new energy, the strategic value of nuclear power as a stable zero carbon based load power source is further highlighted. The current domestic nuclear power generation accounts for about 5% of the total electricity generation in society, far below the global average proportion of nuclear power, and there is still ample room for growth in the future. With the normalization of nuclear power approval pace, the domestic nuclear power industry will enter a period of concentrated production of new units in the next five years, providing solid support for energy transformation and power system safety.Editor/Cheng Liting