China begins construction of Hualong One nuclear reactor with 666-foot-tall cooling tower

China has broken ground on the Zhaoyuan nuclear power station in Shandong province, featuring the country's first Hualong One reactors equipped with 666-foot cooling towers. The plant will eventually house six reactor units and generate 50 billion kWh annually, enough to power five million people. When complete, it will cut China's coal consumption by 15 million tons and carbon emissions by 46.2 million tons per year.