Initial fuel loading completed at San'ao unit 2

China General Nuclear (CGN) completed initial fuel loading at San'ao unit 2 on 2 November, advancing the Hualong One reactor toward nuclear-powered commissioning. The operation transferred 177 fuel assemblies from the spent fuel pool's fuel racks into the reactor core using semi-automatic refuelling equipment.

CGN described the process: after operators completed the fuel loading sequence programming, the programme was imported into the refuelling machine's control system, with specialised fuel operators then directing the sequential transfer. The operation also employed a floating light gun independently developed by CGN to provide underwater illumination of the core, which the company said helped ensure the smooth progress of the loading process.

Project timeline

The San'ao plant received State Council approval for its first phase — units 1 and 2 — in September 2020. China's National Nuclear Safety Administration issued a construction permit for both units on 30 December 2020, with first concrete for unit 1 poured the following day. First concrete for unit 2 followed on 30 December 2021.

Unit 1 achieved first criticality in February 2026 and was connected to the grid in March, before being declared commercially operational on 29 April. Unit 2 completed cold functional tests in October 2025 and hot functional tests in April 2026. Commercial electricity supply from unit 2 is scheduled for 2027.

Expanding capacity

San'ao is the first nuclear power project in China's Yangtze River Delta region to adopt the Hualong One reactor design. Units 3 and 4, also Hualong One reactors, were among 11 reactors approved by China's State Council in August 2024; first concrete for the unit 3 nuclear island was poured on 19 December 2025. A further two Hualong One units are planned as units 5 and 6 at the same site.

Upon full completion, the plant is projected to supply more than 54 TWh of electricity annually to Zhejiang Province and the broader Yangtze River Delta region, while reducing standard coal consumption by more than 16 million tonnes and cutting carbon dioxide emissions by more than 51 million tonnes per year, according to CGN.

Ownership structure

San'ao represents the first Chinese nuclear power project to involve private capital. Geely Technology Group holds a 2% stake in the project company, Cangnan Nuclear Power. CGN is the majority shareholder with 46%, and other state-owned enterprises hold the remaining shares.

Kazakhstan moves to establish 100-year state uranium reserve as nuclear build programme advances

Strategic reserve directive

Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has formally called for the creation of a state strategic uranium reserve designed to supply the country's future nuclear power plants for the next 100 years. Speaking in an address to the nation, Tokayev described the initiative as reasonable and directed that it be comprehensively developed.

Following the address, Tokayev was briefed by Kazatomprom's chairman on measures under way to establish the reserve. Kazatomprom is currently conducting geological exploration across six areas totalling more than 1,000 square kilometres, with additional exploration planned for the Kyzyltu area, which covers 124 square kilometres.

Almassadam Satkaliyev, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Agency, told a parliamentary committee that the national development strategy targets the reservation of at least 150,000 tonnes of uranium by 2050. Work is ongoing to develop and approve a conceptual framework for the reserve. Satkaliyev described the intended structure as a multi-level system spanning the full nuclear fuel supply chain — from in-ground deposit reservations through physical stockpiles of natural uranium to inventories of ready-to-use nuclear fuel.

Balkhash NPP: financing and EPC contract in place

An intergovernmental agreement covering key principles and export loan financing for the Balkhash Nuclear Power Plant was signed in May during a state visit by Russia's president. Preliminary cost estimates for the two-unit plant stand at approximately USD 14.4 billion, with a further USD 2 billion earmarked for physical security systems and social infrastructure.

Russia's Rosatom signed an engineering, procurement and construction contract for the plant in September. The facility is designed around two VVER-1200 pressurised water reactors. Construction is targeted to begin in 2027, with the first unit aimed at entering operation in 2034.

Second and third plants under development

China National Nuclear Corporation is confirmed to build a second nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, sited in the Zhambyl district adjacent to the Balkhash location. The government has set a target for nuclear energy to account for 5% of national electricity generation by 2035.

Sites are currently being examined for a third plant. Medium-sized units in the 300–600 MW range are under consideration for that project, with potential applications including heat supply and water desalination in addition to electricity generation.

Production context

Kazakhstan holds approximately 14% of global uranium resources and has been the world's leading uranium producer since 2009. In 2025 the country produced around 25,839 tU, representing roughly 40% of total world output. The scale of domestic production underpins the strategic rationale for securing long-term fuel supply for a growing domestic reactor fleet.

FANCO and Hyundai E&C Formalise Five-Year Service Agreement for EAGL-1 SMR

First American Nuclear Co (FANCO) and Hyundai E&C signed a master service agreement on 30 October at the Korean contractor's Seoul headquarters, converting a July framework arrangement into a formal, five-year contract for work on the EAGL-1 small modular reactor project. The agreement may be extended beyond five years by mutual consent.

Under the contract, Hyundai E&C will carry out constructability reviews, provide design and engineering technical consulting, and deliver technical feedback relevant to construction. The parties also intend to explore Hyundai E&C's potential future role as an engineering, procurement, and construction partner on the project.

EAGL-1 Design and Fuel Strategy

EAGL-1 is a 240 MWe lead-bismuth cooled, fast-spectrum SMR conceived for factory fabrication and scalable multi-unit deployment. The design supports a closed fuel cycle in which used fuel is continuously reprocessed and reused. FANCO has stated that the reactor will primarily use mixed-oxide fuel and other transuranic fuels drawn from existing US Department of Energy stockpiles, though the system is also capable of operating on high-assay low-enriched uranium.

FANCO describes this fuel-flexible approach as a means of sidestepping supply-chain constraints while drawing down the United States' inventory of long-term nuclear waste. The company also offers a BridgePower configuration that initially generates power via conventional package boilers and steam turbines, with the EAGL-1 reactor later replacing the boilers while retaining the same turbine infrastructure.

Regulatory and Partnership Context

FANCO submitted a regulatory engagement plan for EAGL-1 to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in April, initiating pre-application engagement with the regulator. In May, FANCO formed a strategic alliance with AtkinsRéalis, under which the Canadian engineering firm provides engineering services to support deployment of the EAGL-1 SMR and associated fuel facilities.

Hyundai E&C has been broadening its SMR-sector relationships in parallel. The Korean contractor recently signed memorandums of understanding with US SMR developers NANO Nuclear Energy and ARC Clean Technology, signalling wider ambitions in the next-generation nuclear construction market.