China's nuclear power operation safety performance has consistently ranked among the world's best while the country has achieved a series of breakthroughs in equipment manufacturing, with nuclear energy applications kept expanding, the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA) said on Tuesday.
More than 40 Chinese nuclear power units achieved maximum scores in the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) comprehensive index in 2025, which measures power generation capacity, safety performance and other key indicators, the industry group said.
China's share of top-rated units exceeded that of major nuclear power countries including the United States, France and Russia.
The integration of artificial intelligence and digital twin technology is also accelerating in the nuclear safety field, helping ensure the safe operation of nuclear plants, CNEA said.
"Digital twin technology, combining with real-time data collection and analysis of massive operational data, helps to realize seamless safety monitoring from the nuclear power plant grounds down to the inside of the equipment. It uncovers operational patterns of nuclear power equipment, precisely identifies subtle differences in daily operation, and provides early warning of potential faults," said Wang Jianjun, deputy director of the advanced intelligent digital twin research center at Zhejiang University.
The CNEA said that nuclear energy use in China is expanding beyond electricity generation into heating, industrial steam, and seawater desalination.
Heating from the Haiyang, Qinshan and Hongyanhe nuclear plants now covers more than 20 million square meters. The Tianwan plant in east China's Jiangsu Province has supplied more than 4.8 million tons of steam to a local petrochemical base, cutting carbon emissions by an estimated 1.07 million tons, according to the CNEA.
China now has 112 nuclear power units in operation, under construction, or approved and awaiting construction, ranking first in the world, the association said.
Such large installed capacity has also driven rapid improvements in domestic manufacturing capabilities for core nuclear components, CNEA said.
"The main pump is the heart of a nuclear power plant. Monitoring equipment for this pump was long monopolized by foreign companies. After years of efforts, we have now not only localized production but also achieved new breakthroughs in signal transmission, increasing anti-interference capability by 100 times. China's independent development and manufacturing capabilities in nuclear power equipment are now at the forefront globally," said Zhou Yawen, head of the technology commercialization platform at China General Nuclear Power Group.
China's nuclear power operation safety performance ranks among world's best: CNEA
