China is tweaking its homegrown “Hualong One” nuclear design to rely less on the ocean, kicking off construction on a new unit equipped with a massive cooling tower. (Global Times)
The twist: While coastal nuclear plants typically pump in seawater for cooling, the new Zhaoyuan project in Shandong features a 666-ft. “natural draft” tower that vents heat into the atmosphere instead.
The strategy: By proving the Hualong One works with this “secondary-circuit” cooling, China is effectively unlocking the ability to build these massive reactors inland, rather than squeezing them all along the coastline.
The design creates a dual-layer protection system: If external water is cut, the tower’s reserve allows the plant to keep cooling for hours—or even days—with its backup tanks.