Sanmen nuclear power plant is a 2,502 MW nuclear power station in , China. It is operated by China National Nuclear Power Co Ltd [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 5.6 million homes (estimated). It ranks #224 of 6,685 China power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2018, it is around 8 years old — recently built. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, nuclear supplies about 4.6% of China's electricity; the national grid averages 525 gCO₂/kWh (41.7% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GEM_nuc_sanmen_china.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Capacity provenance
The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 2,502 MW for Sanmen nuclear power plant, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM Global Nuclear Power Tracker September 2025 unit-status sum (operating); fuel: GEM GNPT
In context: how this plant compares
At 2,502 MW, Sanmen nuclear power plant is below the median nuclear plant in China (5,000 MW). Technically it is described as pressurized water reactor. Nuclear plants split uranium to raise steam with no direct CO₂; they run as steady baseload with very high capacity factors and the longest operating lifetimes of any thermal plant.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of China nuclear capacity
- 0.8% of 313,184 MW across 72 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 10 of 22 dated nuclear plants in China are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest nuclear plants in China
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by China National Nuclear Power Co Ltd [100%].
Climate zone & how it works
This nuclear plant uses heat from nuclear fission to raise steam for a turbine-generator. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 29.1°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Climate zone & typical temperatures: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
The #52 largest nuclear power plant of 72 in China by capacity.
China has 72 nuclear power plants in this dataset, together about 313,184 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Zhejiang Taizhou-2 power station · Coal · 2,000 MW · Zhejiang Sheng
- Zhejiang Sanmen power station · Biomass · 15 MW · Zhejiang Sheng
- Zhejiang Sanmen (Kangheng) power station · Biomass · 12 MW · Zhejiang Sheng
- Jinqimen nuclear power plant · Nuclear · 7,200 MW ·
- Datang Linhai Toumengang power station · Coal · 1,320 MW ·
- Zhejiang Xiangshan power station · Biomass · 12 MW · Zhejiang Sheng
Location
Coordinates 29.101934, 121.63896 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Sanmen nuclear power plant?
Sanmen nuclear power plant is a 2,502 MW nuclear power plant in , China, commissioned in 2018.
Who operates Sanmen nuclear power plant?
Sanmen nuclear power plant is operated by China National Nuclear Power Co Ltd [100%].