The world's first commercial small modular reactor (SMR), Linglong One, is preparing itself to install the steam turbine generator set as the generator stator was successfully hoisted into position on Saturday.
Located in south China's island province of Hainan, Linglong One is a multi-purpose small modular pressurized water reactor self-developed by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).
The Linglong One generator consists of a stator, rotor, cooler, and two bearing boxes. The generator stator is approximately 6 meters long and has a net weight of over 130 tons, making it one of the key core components of the set.
Assembly of the core module of the reactor was completed in August, 2023. After its main structure construction finished in February this year, the main control room officially went into operation three month later.
With integrated design, the core module of Linglong One can allow the small nuclear reactor with only one-tenth the size of traditional commercial reactors to generate more electricity with less nuclear fuels.
The modular small reactor has a simplified system and small size, which is convenient for transportation and operation.
Its core module, dubbed the "heart of Linglong One," is a highly integrated piece of pressure vessel, steam generator, primary pump receiver and other critical equipment.
"The core module features the first domestically designed shielded main pump, eliminating the need for complex piping. Linglong One utilizes a direct current steam generator, which is less than one-fifth the size of the 20-meter tall generators used in large nuclear reactors, making it more compact and efficient," said Yao Liang from Hainan Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. under the CNNC.
Compared with traditional thermal power stations, Linglong One enjoys higher production efficiency while consuming less resources.
Generally speaking, both thermal power station and nuclear reactor are steam driven. They transform heat energy into electricity power. They heat water, convert it into steam to rotate turbines which drive electric generator. However, they use different source to convert water into steam. Thermal power plants burn coal to heat water, while nuclear power plants use nuclear fuel.
"The annual consumption of a standard 300,000-kilowatt thermal power plant is approximately 1 million tons of raw coal whose transportation requires 20,000 rail cars. In contrast, Linglong One can realize one-third of that generating capacity with less than 8 tons of nuclear fuel which only needs to be replaced every two years and can be transported by just one truck. Once operational, Linglong One can generate up to 1 billion kWh of electricity per year, enough to meet the needs of 526,000 households in Hainan," said Yao.
Linglong One is scheduled to start operation in 2026. By then, it will be applied in multiple scenarios including urban heating, seawater desalination, and oil extraction.
China's Linglong One starts installing component of generator set
China's Linglong One starts installing component of generator set
Foreign diplomats and scholars are looking closely at this year's "two sessions", saying China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) will not only chart the nation's economic and technological priorities but also reshape global value chains.
The fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the nation's top political advisory body, opened on Wednesday, followed by the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Thursday. Together known as the "two sessions," these meetings offer a comprehensive view into China's development priorities.
Global observers emphasized that the 15th Five-Year Plan, a blueprint guiding the nation's economic, social, and technological priorities over the next five years, marks a decisive shift toward high‑quality growth anchored in advanced technologies, with ripple effects across the world.
"The two sessions will discuss China's five-year plan, which is heavily oriented toward China's major technological development. I believe this is important because it represents the new blueprint for China's economy, which is now oriented toward the renowned high-quality development, and this will undoubtedly impact the entire world. I think it is worth studying. This is very important for Latin America. It will help us integrate more intelligently into global value chains and into all aspects of the major development that China is promoting in iconic industrial sectors, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and space development, where Latin America also has much to contribute beyond just commercial growth," said Gustavo Sabino Vaca Narvaja, former Argentine Ambassador to China.
"The two sessions are a major political milestone in China, and this year's gathering carries even greater significance as this year marks the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan. This plan represents not only a blueprint for China, but also a guide for other countries. Instruments like the five-year plan effectively provide greater certainty and predictability for the rest of the world," said Chilean scholar of international relations Ignacio Araya Heredia.
"This is a particularly important date, especially due to the fact that the next Five-Year Plan shall be positioned and we're going to see what its main elements shall be. Serbia, which has a very high degree of steel friendship with the People's Republic of China, can expect further assistance in identifying the most prominent areas of Serbian economy and being helped by its great partner, such as it has been done in the previous period, from one part with establishing the main infrastructure projects, but also reshaping the industrial sector of Serbia, not just Serbia, but the region as a whole," said Veljko Mijuskovic, assistant professor of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Belgrade.
Beyond the policy framework, experts also pointed to China's achievements in green energy and technological innovation as models worth emulating.
Tomasz Bielinski, adjunct professor at the University of Gdansk's Faculty of Economics, said the robotics displays at the 2026 China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala reflected China's broader push in technological innovation.
"I was really impressed about the robotics. I'm very impressed with Chinese development in the technological field, we can still make great deals with Chinese businessmen and we can cooperate together to use this technology for both the good of China and the European Union. I'm aware of the innovation especially in autonomous drive on the on the Chinese side," he said.
"We hope for more of China's economic cooperation, especially in trade and also in investment. Also, and the other focus, if I talk about the focus of the development, don't forget about the green energy. We know that China is great in the electric vehicle field. So because China's electric vehicles in Indonesia nowadays, since couple of years ago, are very, very popular," said Al Busyra Basnur, president of the Indonesia-China Friendship Association.
Observers see China's new five-year plan driving high-quality development, global tech shifts
