Construction of the first phase of the plant which consists of two reactors was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission in July 2008.

[2][3] Unit 1 was connected to the electricity grid on 7 November 2015 and is commercially operating starting on 25 December 2015.

[4] In July 2019 China National Nuclear Corporation announced it would start building a demonstration ACP100 small modular reactor on the north-west side of the site by the end of the year.

[5] The plant will be built in two phases, both consisting of two CNP-600 pressurized water reactors, with a capacity of 650 MW each.

The meeting approved the Hainan Changjiang Nuclear Power Phase II project.