Haiyang 3 completes hot functional testing ahead of fuel load

Hot functional testing at the Haiyang 3 nuclear power unit concluded on 13 August, marking a critical milestone in the plant's commissioning sequence. The tests involved raising the reactor coolant system to operating temperature and conducting comprehensive verification of coolant circuits and safety systems before nuclear fuel is loaded.

The testing campaign encompassed 11 temperature rise and fall test platforms, executing 53 commissioning test procedures across 308 test chapters and 30 periodic tests. The unit successfully completed several transient tests on the first attempt, including non-nuclear steam turbine start-up and main pump coasting procedures. These results verified the thermal performance, interface fit accuracy, and regulation responsiveness of each system.

Hot functional tests simulate thermal working conditions and verify that nuclear island and conventional equipment meet design requirements
Cold functional tests were completed in March 2026, confirming proper installation and cold-condition readiness of safety-critical components
Fuel loading and grid connection are targeted for completion within 2026

Project timeline and capacity

Haiyang 3 is one of two CAP1000 reactors approved for construction at the site in April 2021. The CAP1000 design represents the Chinese adaptation of the Westinghouse AP1000 technology. Initial concrete pouring for the nuclear island occurred in July 2022, with construction of the companion Haiyang 4 unit commencing in April 2025. Both units are scheduled for full operational status in 2027.

The Haiyang plant currently operates two AP1000 units and is planned to eventually accommodate six 1,000-megawatt reactors, with space reserved for two additional future expansions. Once all four units under current development reach full capacity, the facility will generate approximately 40 billion kilowatt-hours annually, sufficient to supply electricity to half of Shandong Province's population.

CAP1000 is the Chinese version of Westinghouse AP1000 technology
Haiyang plant planned as a 10-megawatt-class nuclear power base with capacity for six reactors
Four operational units will produce 40 billion kilowatt-hours annually

India Opens Public Consultation on SHANTI Nuclear Framework

India's Department of Atomic Energy has launched a public consultation on rules implementing the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025, which completed the legislative process in December. The consultation period runs until 4 September, allowing interested parties to submit feedback on draft regulations published on 14 August.

The SHANTI Act consolidates India's nuclear legal framework by repealing the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act of 2010. The legislation grants statutory recognition to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and establishes a modernised regulatory structure designed to support India's clean-energy transition and its target of 100 GWe of nuclear capacity by 2047.

Licensing and Participation

The new framework enables wider participation from both public and private sectors in India's nuclear energy industry, operating under regulatory oversight. A single composite licence will authorise the building, owning, operating, and decommissioning of nuclear power reactors, encompassing both fission-based reactors and deuterium-tritium reaction-based fusion reactors.

The rules establish licensing frameworks for fuel cycle facilities, uranium and thorium exploration, mining and processing, radiation source manufacture, and non-power applications. They also cover foreign and domestic trade and transportation of nuclear fuel, equipment, technology, and radioactive substances.

Foreign Reactor Requirements

For foreign-designed reactors, licences will only be granted for designs already certified or approved by the regulatory body in their country of origin. The legislation defines country of origin as nations that are self-reliant in nuclear reactor design and supply chain ecosystems with globally trusted regulatory approvals. Such designs must be operational either in their country of origin or another foreign country.

Imported or domestically acquired technology must not adversely affect India's interests, constitute unreasonable risk to public health and safety, or conflict with national policies. For projects where site or technology selection is incomplete, the licensing authority may grant in-principle approval, enabling applicants to negotiate with reactor vendors and acquire necessary land and infrastructure.

Blue Energy and GE Vernova Advance Hybrid Power Project in Texas

Blue Energy and GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy have advanced their partnership to develop an integrated power generation facility in Victoria, Texas. The project combines gas turbine capacity with small modular reactor technology to supply electricity to a data centre operation.

The facility will initially draw 1 GW of power from two GE Vernova 7HA.02 gas turbines. A subsequent phase will add up to 1.5 GW through five BWRX-300 small modular reactors, subject to a final investment decision in 2027.

Engineering and Licensing Progress

The newly announced agreement moves the project into advanced engineering design, licensing, and safety analysis stages. The collaboration leverages the standardised, modular design of the BWRX-300 to support schedule predictability and cost management.

Blue Energy's approach emphasises off-site fabrication and super modules assembly to reduce on-site construction complexity. The company describes this methodology as the "Blue Way", positioning it as a departure from traditional large-reactor nuclear construction models.

Supply Chain and Execution Strategy

The integrated approach aims to enhance project delivery certainty through innovative logistics and prefabrication techniques. By combining proven gas turbine technology with advanced SMR design, the partners intend to demonstrate a repeatable model for hybrid power generation.

Blue Energy CEO Jake Jurewicz stated the collaboration represents a shift toward making nuclear energy a "financeable, repeatable product" with reduced timelines and costs. GE Vernova's Power segment CEO Eric Gray emphasised the importance of scalable, integrated solutions to meet rising electricity demand.

Broader Context

The first BWRX-300 unit is currently under construction at Ontario Power Generation's Darlington site in Canada, with completion anticipated by the end of the decade. The Texas project represents an early commercial application of the BWRX-300 design in a hybrid generation context.