“Today’s lesson has changed my previous impression on nuclear power. It turns out that a nuclear power plant can be an ‘underwater garden’, a ‘tea plantation’, or even a ‘dolphin paradise’.” A classmate from Areia Preta Community School, Macau, said that after the clean energy science class.

On the occasion of the 54th World Environment Day, CGN’s “nuclear-powered future” clean energy science popularization was conducted in this school. Through immersive interactive experience, interesting experiments and professional science popularization explanation, it delivered the safety knowledge and green development concept for nuclear energy to teachers and students. Over 500 teachers and students from the school participated in the activities. This is also the first time that clean energy science popularization activities such as nuclear energy have taken place in Macao.

On the morning of June 4th, the science lecture of clean energy was held in the school auditorium. Wang Kairun, a teacher from the training department of TSNP, gave an easy-to-understand presentation on the important role of clean energy in coping with climate change, the principles of nuclear power generation, and the third generation nuclear power technology “Hualong One” with independent intellectual property right in China. During the interactive session, students actively raised their hands to answer questions, creating a lively atmosphere at the scene.

From June 4th to 5th, students took part in the exhibition of clean energy science popularization. The immersive interactive exhibition integrated various technologies such as nuclear power, photovoltaic, and wind power. Through innovative methods like physical simulations and model building, it created a “tangible energy lab”, allowing students to explore the mysteries of clean energy in hands-on practical activities. An interesting stamp rally featuring gamified checkpoint incentives effectively drove student participation.

In front of the interactive device of “nuclear safety shield”, students can visually understand how nuclear power plants ensure safety through multiple physical barriers by assembling three-dimensional puzzles. “It turns out nuclear power plants have three layers of ‘golden shields’ that firmly contain the nuclear radiation!” In front of the light-thermal magic show equipment, students found the optimal direction for sunlight exposure by rotating the angle, exclaiming “solar power generation really does ‘chase the sun’”. In front of the atomic nucleus exploration device, everyone pulled a lever to simulate triggering nuclear fission, marveling at the wonders of the atomic world.

“Today, I have learned that there are three circuits in nuclear power plants, which are not interconnected but all play important roles.” “Nuclear power plants also have three barriers to protect their safety.” “When I go home, I’ll tell my parents that nuclear power plants are not the ‘source of pollution’, but the ‘clean energy factory’.” At the end of the activity, students expressed their feelings one after another.

“The science popularization activity has opened the door for students to explore clean energy.” “Through firsthand experience, children have realized that the nuclear power is not only safe but also an important way to achieve green and ecological development.”, said Ren Misha, the school principal. She also revealed that the school will organize students to visit TSNP during the second half of this year, in order to deepen students’ understanding on China’s nuclear power development and the application of nuclear energy. Huang Leshi, the head of the general knowledge sector of the school, said that the activities not only increased everyone’s understanding of clean energy, but also are conducive to promoting children to practice the concept of environmental protection in their future study and life, and consciously protect the environment.

This event was organized by Taishan Nuclear Power Joint Venture Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “TNPJVC”), and coordinated by the Education and Youth Development Bureau of Macao. It marks the first time that nuclear energy science education has been introduced into schools in Macao, representing a new breakthrough for CGN in fully leveraging its geographical advantages to establish a regular public communication and exchange mechanism within the Greater Bay Area. It is also a good practice for drawing a “concentric circle” of cooperation and exchanges between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao.

In recent years, CGN has actively engaged in public communication, persisting in the concept of openness and transparency, and sincere communication. In 2019, the Guangdong Nuclear Power Station Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee (hereinafter referred to as “SAC”), which had been established for 31 years, expanded from the Guangdong-Hong Kong region to Macau for the first time. Currently, the SAC includes four members from Macau. Each year, these committee members consult and give advice to CGN on topics such as nuclear safety operation, nuclear safety information disclosure, and support of environmental protection, serving as an important bridge for communication between nuclear power plants and the public in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau. Meanwhile, nuclear power plants in Guangdong, such as Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant in Shenzhen and Taishan Nuclear Power Plant in Jiangmen, are open to the public from Hong Kong and Macao all the year round. In 2024, a total of over two thousand people, including representatives from governments, community organizations, students, and the general public from Hong Kong and Macao, visited the Daya Bay and Taishan nuclear power plants.

The science popularization activity marks the nuclear power enterprise’s debut outreach into Macau, which opens up a new chapter for further strengthening communication and exchanges with the public in Hong Kong and Macau. CGN revealed that it will seize this opportunity to establish a regular mechanism for public communication and exchange among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau, contributing to the joint efforts of advancing high-quality development in the Greater Bay Area.