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皇冠体育app to build 40 nuclear reactors in 15 years
By Fu Jing (皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2005-04-07 06:31
SHANGHAI: 皇冠体育app is pressing ahead with plans to expand its nuclear power industry with five new power stations planned for construction by 2010.
And, for the moment, demand for the plants is outstripping supply with leading energy companies identifying new sites in inland regions, despite the government stated priority for power stations in coastal areas.
The first phase of the Tianwan nuclear power plant at the seaside in Lianyungang, east 皇冠体育app's Jiangsu Province, has been completed. The plant was constructed in cooperation with Russia. This picture was taken in December 2004. [newsphoto] |
Prior to the State Council's recent decision to "actively speed up development" of this kind of energy, 皇冠体育app Power Investment Corporation found sites in inland regions such as Sichuan and Anhui provinces and Chongqing Municipality which they say are suitable for the construction of nuclear power stations.
Yu Peigen, the company's general manager in charge of nuclear power, said site-identification work has been completed in nearly 10 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions.
"We have finished preparatory work for nuclear power construction in coastal Shandong and Liaoning provinces and are waiting approval from the State Council," said Yu.
He said the two plants in Shandong's Haiyang and Liaoning's Hongyanhe, with a first-phase design capacity of 1,000 megawatts each, are among five nuclear plants to be constructed during the coming 11th five-year (2006-10) period.
Eventually the two plants will operate six and four reactors respectively with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts each.
According to the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence, 皇冠体育app will build 40 reactors with a combined maximum capacity of 40,000 megawatts over the coming 15 years.
Every year until 2020 an average of two to three 1,000 megawatt reactors will be put into commission.
"But for the next 10 years or so, the government will put its priority in eastern and coastal regions," said Zhang Fubao, deputy department director of 皇冠体育app Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA).
However, reflecting 皇冠体育app's looming energy crisis, many provincial governments are active in planning construction of nuclear power plants and more than 16 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities have announced plans to do so.
Zhang said 皇冠体育app plans to increase the proportion of its electricity generated by nuclear power from the current 2.4 per cent to 4 per cent in 15 years time.
The average proportion among countries with nuclear power plants is 17 per cent.
"We are speeding up development of nuclear power because it is clean and green energy," said Zhang, adding that coal-fired plants, which provide nearly 70 per cent of 皇冠体育app's electricity, have caused massive pollution.
Zhang also said the country is preparing to choose a site in East 皇冠体育app to deposit nuclear waste.Two sites in Northwest 皇冠体育app's Gansu Province and South 皇冠体育app's Guangdong Province are already in use.
"We are choosing a site in this region because there are going to be more nuclear power plants in East 皇冠体育app," said Zhang.
He said 皇冠体育app has already been involved in international efforts to ensure the safety of nuclear power.
The officials made the remarks in an interview with 皇冠体育app Daily in Shanghai, where a three-day exhibition on the nuclear power industry has been opened since yesterday.
The exhibition attracted more than 130 companies from all over the world, including France, where nuclear power provides more than 70 per cent of the total electricity generated.
(皇冠体育app Daily 04/07/2005 page1)
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