NDRC Director Highlights Development of Nuclear Power in China

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Zhang Guobao, Vice Director of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and Director General of the National Energy Administration, recently published an article in the People's Daily newspaper, one of the Chinese government's major mouthpieces, highlighting the development of nuclear power stations.

Zhang said that in 2009, at least four new nuclear power stations are set to be built in China: Sanmen City in Zhejiang province; Haiyang City in Shandong province; Yaogu City in Guangdong province; and Rongcheng City in Shandong province. The plants primarily will be built to meet Chinese domestic demand -- it has been estimated that for every 10 units of 1 million-kilowatt capacity, $17.5 billion will be needed -- and to optimize the country's energy mix to curb pollution.

According to statistics in 2007, the installed capacity of nuclear power in the country accounted for only 1.27% of the nation's total power generating capacity. In contrast, the global average in this respect was 9.66% in 2005, when France had 56.21% of its total power generating installed capacity being made up of nuclear power.

With the deepening of the current financial crisis, China has begun to view the development of nuclear power as a way out of a possible recession. In December 2008, China worked out plan to build its first inland nuclear power station, which is set to be located at Xianyang City, Hubei province, and to start construction in 2009 after an environmental examination. The project will cost about $3.65 billion.

In April 2008, China began to build its largest nuclear power station in the Dongping Township in Guangdong's Yangjiang City. This project will cost about $10.2 billion. It has six 1-gigawatt units and is expected to complete construction in 2017.

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