The Qinshan-1 nuclear power plant in eastern China could now operate until at least 2041. Courtesy CNNC. China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment has approved an extension of the operating licence for the country’s oldest nuclear power reactor – Unit 1 of the Qinshan nuclear station – until the end of July 2041, China National Nuclear Corporation announced.

The company said the renewal will have a far-reaching impact on achieving China’s carbon neutral goal by 2060 and setting up a comprehensive nuclear licence renewal system in China, which has a fleet of 51 commercial nuclear reactors with 13 under construction.

Qinshan-1, in Zhejiang province, eastern China, was the first nuclear power plant completely designed and built using the country’s own technologies. The CNP-300 pressurised water reactor unit began commercial operation in April 1994.

The plant’s generating capacity was recently uprated to 350 MW (net) from its original 308 MW.

The Qinshan station has seven plants built in three phases with a total net capacity of about 4,160 MW. Qinshan 2-4, a CNP-600 unit, was the latest to begin commercial operation in December 2011. Two of the plants, Qinshan 3-1 and Qinshan 3-2, are Canada-supplied Candu 6 units.