China has released a plan for its first inland nuclear power
plant in central China's Hunan Province.
China National Nuclear Corporation, in conjunction with China
Three Gorges Project Corporation, China Resources Co. Ltd and Hunan
Xiangtou Holdings Group Co. Ltd, inked an agreement Wednesday to
operate the project under the umbrella of a new joint-venture,
Hunan Taohua River Nuclear Power Co. Ltd.
With a planned installation capacity of four million kilowatts,
the plant is to be built in Lishanhe Town in Taojiang County of
Yiyang City. Once the first phase of the project is completed, half
the plant's potential capacity will be useable.
The plant will join China's other two major nuclear sites at
Daya Bay and Qinshan, with the distinction of being the country's
first inland nuclear power plant.
According to the State Council's nuclear power development plan
adopted in 2006, China will see its combined nuclear power rise to
40,000 megawatts by 2020. For such a staggering rise to come true,
two 1,000-megawatt nuclear power plants would need to be built each
year for the next 15 years.
The second phase at the Qinshan plant ended in the first half of
2006, bringing its full installation capacity of 600,000
kilowatts.
China currently possesses six nuclear power plants with 11
reactors, dotting its economically thriving east and southeast
coasts.
More plants are already waiting to be built in the provinces of
Fujian and Shandong.
(Xinhua News Agency February 16, 2007)