China's Hualong One becomes world's most deployed 3rd-gen reactor design

China’s Hualong One nuclear reactor has become the world’s most deployed third-generation reactor design, with 41 units currently in operation globally. Entirely domestically produced, each unit can generate approximately 10 billion kilowatt-hours of clean energy annually, sufficient to power about one million people in a moderately developed country. The reactor, also known as the HPR1000 for export, is a pressurized water reactor (PWR) that incorporates advanced safety features and efficiency improvements learned from previous generations, including lessons from the Fukushima disaster. Seven units are already grid-connected, with Pakistan being the first overseas customer and Argentina also among the partners. Over 20 additional countries have signed cooperation agreements to deploy the technology. The Hualong One reactors contribute significantly to carbon emissions reduction, avoiding around 8 million tonnes of CO₂ per year per unit. The Karachi units in Pakistan have collectively generated about 48 billion kWh and prevented approximately 39 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions. The first unit was