What's new

China Civilian Nuclear Industry, Technology, Exports and Supply Chain: News & Discussions

Nuclear tech seen as latest China 'name card'
(Global Times) 10:58, December 06, 2016

U9x20UN.jpg

Nuclear technology could join the list of China-made goods with high-tech features, such as high-speed rail, and could become a new facet of the country's export portfolio with nuclear power projects in Pakistan serving as a touchstone and leading to more opportunities in the global market, experts said on Monday.

Nuclear cooperation between China and Pakistan has made great strides in recent years under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative.

In October, the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 was connected to Pakistan's grid. The complex was built by State-owned China National Nuclear Corp.

In addition to the four reactors at Chashma, another nuclear power plant is also being built in Karachi, in southern Pakistan. The Hualong One third-generation nuclear technology, developed by China, is being installed at the plant in Karachi.

Pakistan's growth has been hindered by power shortages and nuclear technology offers the country a clean and affordable option in power supply, said Han Xiaoping, chief analyst at the energy-focused website China5e.

The construction of a nuclear power plant also demands huge input in related infrastructure, which could boost the local economy, noted Han.

There is great potential for China's nuclear technology in terms of international cooperation, Han told the Global Times on Monday, because it has a good safety record both domestically and abroad.

"Pakistan is indubitably an energy deficit country with traditional reliance on hydro power generation of which the capacity has gone down over the years. Every day there is an electricity shortage of some 4,000 megawatts," Ejaz Hussain, head of the department of social sciences at Iqra University Islamabad and currently a visiting fellow at University of California, Berkeley, told the Global Times Monday.

Hussain said also under the terms of the CPEC, some Chinese companies are investing in thermal energy projects in Pakistan. "Chinese companies are doing this to help Pakistan meet its energy needs as well as make money from thermal and nuclear technology that has been discouraged in industrialized Europe and the US."

"The construction of a Hualong One nuclear unit at Karachi has set a great example for future export efforts of China's third-generation nuclear technology," Lin Boqiang, director of the China Center for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Monday.

It is very likely there will be more use of China's nuclear technology in developed economies as well as those along the Belt and Road route, as the technology is both safe and more affordable, compared with other third generation technologies like EPR, developed by Areva NP, Electricite de France and Siemens, and Westinghouse Electric Company's AP1000, Lin said.

Like China's bullet trains, nuclear technology is very likely to become another "name card" for China, Lin noted.

Nuclear concerns

eru9Syk.jpg

Hussain noted that China-Pakistan energy cooperation has been stable despite concerns raised by domestic humanitarian and green organizations that have called for locating such reactors to non-populated areas and shifting to renewable energy.

"Nuclear power plants, especially those near Karachi, pose a danger to the metropolitan if hit by a tsunami or any terror attack. Karachi has been attacked by terrorists in the past and is politically and security-wise unstable. What Pakistani authorities need to do is locate such nuclear plants in less populated areas and importantly go for fusion-based nuclear technology and energy," Hussain noted.

Internationally, China also has a role to play, according to Hussain.

"Both India and Pakistan are striving for Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership. In my view, to stabilize hostile relations between India and Pakistan, China and the US have their work cut out for them and the two can urge the South Asian nuclear-tipped archrivals to either join the NSG together or stay away from it. Any middle way will add to strategic danger in Asia and beyond," Hussain said.
http://en.people.cn/n3/2016/1206/c90000-9151252.html
 
Shanxi firm to invest in UK power plant
Last Updated: 2016-11-25 10:01 | China Daily

A Shanxi-based company principally engaged in the coal business will invest 3 billion yuan ($440 million) in the Hinkley Point power plant in the United Kingdom. Wintime Energy Co Ltd (Listed in Shanghai Stock Exchange; Forbes 2000 company) a company principally engaged in the exploitation, operation, washing, selection and processing of coal, recently made the investment, together with China General Nuclear Power Corporation.

The two companies are to jointly carry out several clean energy projects, including Guangdong Lufeng Power Station, Hinkley Point C power plant and some non-nuclear power plants, according to a project cooperation agreement signed between the two companies on Nov 21.

CGN signed a final agreement on the 18 billion pound ($23.4 billion) Hinkley Point C power plant two months ago with the French utility EDF and the British government. He Yu, chairman of CGN, said China's nuclear technology being used abroad will lead to more countries having confidence in Chinese reactors and pushing forward its global market development.

Wintime Energy, which mainly operates in the domestic market, will become a major partner of the Chinese investment consortium for the project by laying out 10 percent of the total investment in Hinkley Point, which is around 3 billion yuan.

Chinese power firms are currently pacing up mergers and acquisitions at home and abroad, motivated by their financial strength, poor domestic markets and policy support.

"The developers' balance sheets are now the strongest in at least five years, enhancing their financial strength for mergers and acquisitions," said Joseph Jacobelli, senior analyst with Asia Utilities and Infrastructure Research of Bloomberg Intelligence.​

"China's power supply has grown at a pace faster than demand, leading to sinking plant utilization rates, especially for coal-fired power. Government policy also strongly supports local power companies' expansion abroad."​

Profit reporting shows that the performance of domestic coal companies turned weaker than earlier expectations in 2015, due to overcapacity, poor demand and lower prices, with 39 listed coal companies reporting a net loss of 5.1 billion yuan in 2015, plummeting 1,120 percent year-on-year.

Wintime Energy Co Ltd, together with other 18 companies however, still reported net profit last year. The company mainly operates in Shanxi province. In addition, it is also involved in hotel business, as well as the production and sale of building materials. According to the company, participation in the overseas project, while in accordance with the government's going global strategy and in line with the Belt and Road Initiative, still presents certain risks in investment decision-making and management.


http://en.ce.cn/main/latest/201611/25/t20161125_18138067.shtml

Why is China's CGN still getting in bed with the French's EDF in Hinkley?


EDF-Avera's situation has kept worsening, so CGN is expanding involvement, say in UK Hinkley project. I don't know if CGN will participate in their seriously troubled Finland project? I hope not.

Areva has been bailed out by the French government, which has then invited several global nuclear powerhouses to invest into the company, these are CNNC, Misubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Japan Nuclear Fuel (a Japan-Kazak company running uranium mines in Kazakhstan). Yes China is expanding global M&A push, but there are competitors, let's wish CNNC get a good Areva deal!

News links:
 
Last edited:
ejjhwjrwj.png


China Starts Building SMR-Based Floating Nuclear Plant
01/01/2017 | Sonal Patel

China has officially begun construction of its first offshore nuclear power plant, a demonstration project that will employ the domestically developed ACPR50S small modular reactor (SMR).

China General Nuclear Power Corp. (CGN) on November 4 told reporters at a press conference that the project (Figure 6) is a “top priority” that will further the country’s “strong marine power strategy.” Among its myriad uses will be powering oilfield exploration in the Bohai Sea and deep-water oil and gas development in the South China Sea. “An offshore small modular reactor adopting a decentralized energy system could be a good solution for providing a steady supply of energy on islands, in coastal or far offshore areas,” CGN said.

1038433918.jpg

6. Floating an idea. China General Nuclear Power Corp. has kicked off work on China’s first floating nuclear power plant. The demonstration plant will employ an ACPR50S small modular reactor, which is designed for marine environments. Courtesy: CGN


CGN did not address it, but the project has reportedly prompted some alarm amongst countries that border the South China Sea, which spans 1.4 million square miles. A third of the world’s shipping passes through its waters. China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, and Malaysia all claim sovereignty over some land features in the sea, and concerns about security and resources have driven much tension among stakeholder countries.

The company instead played up technical achievements.
  • The 60-MWe (200-MWt) ACPR50S reactor design, which is part of China’s ACPR series of SMRs, got the National Development and Reform Commission’s green light in late 2015 to advance as part of a program to develop experimental reactors outlined in the 13th Five Year Plan. CGN said that preliminary design of the ACPR50S is underway. It expects construction of the demonstration project will be completed by 2020.
  • In lieu of pouring concrete as would be conventional for a land-based reactor, CGN kicked off construction of the offshore reactor by signing an agreement with Dongfang Electric Corp. for the supply of a reactor pressure vessel. Of all the equipment necessary to construct the unit—including the floating platform—the reactor pressure vessel takes the longest to manufacture, explained CGN Research Institute deputy-chief engineer and small modular reactor lead designer Rui Min at the press conference.
  • In related news, CGN also revealed it has signed a framework agreement with Shanghai Electric Nuclear Power Group to accelerate “smart power construction” which entails applying digital tools throughout the nuclear plant process, from design to construction.
  • CGN noted that the concept of “Internet Plus nuclear power” will allow China’s nuclear power sector to adapt to what it said is “a new round of industrial revolution.” Several subsidiaries, including China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., China Nuclear Power Operations Co., and the CGN Research Institute, are already working to digitally integrate their resources. CGN has also already established a collaborative sub-platform, successfully created a Hualong-1 in 3-D design, and begun using virtual reality to improve user experience, work efficiency, and safety.

http://www.powermag.com/china-starts-building-smr-based-floating-nuclear-plant/
 
Last edited:
China's SCS islands will be lit up.

Also expect the reclamation and build up efforts to be doubled.
Definitely, just imagine those Nansha, Xisha, Yongxing, Huangyan Islands and other parts in the South China Sea be powered by this abundant source of nuke power and at relatively low cost, then a lot of things can be developed there. The future of the South China Sea is surely assured and bright.

Moreover this unique mobile power generation can be a good export in future... many developing small island nations with limited power generation may seek such option once it becomes feasible.
 
Last edited:
UK starts review of CGN's nuclear reactor design
2017-01-12 08:26 | China Daily | Editor: Feng Shuang

U669P886T1D241249F12DT20170112092122.jpg

A technician works on a key component of the Hualong One reactor in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province.
(Photo/Xinhua)



China General Nuclear Power Corp said the British government has started an assessment of the company's plan to build a nuclear power plant at Bradwell in southeastern England.

The British government asked nuclear regulators on Tuesday to begin the Generic Design Assessment of CGN's design-the Hualong One reactor-a process that industry experts expect to take about five years.

The company is confident that Hualong One will meet the United Kingdom's stringent safety, security and design requirements, said Mao Qing, the project manager at CGN responsible for Hualong One's assessment.

According to Joseph Jacobelli, a senior analyst with Asia utilities and infrastructure research at Bloomberg Intelligence, there are high chances the Hualong One reactor will pass UK's strict approval process.

"Given the vast experience of CGN in building nuclear facilities in China and the importance of the project, there should be a reasonable chance that the parameters are met, albeit some adjustments may be required," said Jacobelli.

"CGN has strong ambitions in many other jurisdictions. So if the plant faces hiccups, there is a reputational risk which could affect the company's bids for other projects in other countries," he said.

He Yu, chairman of CGN, said investing in Bradwell will also lead to more countries having confidence in the Chinese reactor and will push forward its global market development.

The costs of the assessment will be covered by CGN and Electricite de France SA, which formed a joint venture called General Nuclear Services to develop the Bradwell plant, and fund and design the reactor.

Jesse Norman, UK energy minister, said the UK welcomed CGN's investment in the GDA process.

"The nuclear industry in the UK is subject to a stringent regulatory regime to ensure security and mitigation of any potential environmental detriment."

.
 
China to develop floating nuclear power platform in next 5 years
(People's Daily Online) February 13, 2017

FOREIGN201702131623000478335701931.jpg


[File photo]

China will prioritize the development of a floating nuclear power platform in the coming five years, in an effort to provide stable power to offshore projects and promote ocean gas exploitation.

The news was announced by Wang Yiren, vice director of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense. Wang told Science and Technology Daily that Chinese authorities have already carried out research on relevant core technologies as well as the standardization of maritime nuclear power plants, adding that the development of the facility is a crucial part of the country’s five-year economic development plan, running through 2020.

According to Wang, a diesel generator is currently the main power source for China’s offshore operation and the daily lives of residents on the Nansha and Xisha Islands. Diesel power is both inefficient and damaging to the environment; developing a floating maritime nuclear power platform may solve these problems and facilitate the construction of larger vessels in the future.

China would not be the first country to employ floating nuclear power plants. In the 1960s, the U.S. installed a nuclear reactor inside the hull of a freighter to provide electricity for the Panama Canal Zone. Ever since, nuclear reactors have been used on American and Russian ships to provide electrical power.

Once China's own platform has been created, the design will be put to use in ocean gas and oil exploitation. The country is doing its own research on the project, as well as seeking cooperation with Russia to hasten the process, Wang said.

Some experts believe that the development of nuclear power will constitute an important component of China’s future energy sector, as the average global proportion of electricity generated by nuclear power is 11 percent, while the number for China is only 3 percent.

The nuclear industry has been booming in China in recent years, especially since the Chinese government drew on lessons learned from the Fukushima accident in 2011 and introduced a full range of nuclear emergency precautions, including the publication of a nuclear safety white paper in January 2016.
 
Why so afraid? Floating nuclear power plant has been there for long time. If you can accept the US Nuclear Aircraft Carrier, then you know that this project is do-able too. If you are so afraid with the nuclear, then denies those aircraft carriers to come to your country. They have the same risk to this power plants
 
Russia is working on such a project for quite some time.I hope that China and Russia would cooperate in this sphere.:-)
 
Can you tell us more about the Russian's project?
My knowledge its pretty limited, but this article its good, its from October last year.


Russia Nears Completion Of First Floating Nuclear Plant

Russian company Zapsibgidrostroy (it’s a mouthful, yes) has begun the
construction of the docks that will carry the world’s first floating nuclear power plant to its location off the Chukotka coast. From there, the NPP will supply power to the coast and to the offshore oil and gas platforms pumping crude in Arctic waters, starting in 2019.

Work on the 21,000-ton NPP, named Akademik Lomonossov, has been in progress since 2007, and the plant itself is already complete and undergoing tests. With two low-enriched uranium reactors with a combined installed capacity of 75 MW, the plant, once operational, should be able to produce enough electricity to supply a city of 200,000, along with 300 MW of heat that will save 200,000 tons of coal annually.

Civil power and heating supply aside, Akademik Lomonosov could turn into just the first step towards a whole fleet of floating NPPs that will power Russia’s advance into the Arctic hydrocarbon wealth.

Temperatures in Russia’s Far East sometimes reach minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit in winter, which greatly increases the energy needs of any production facility in Arctic waters. Floating NPPs can respond to these needs at a lower carbon footprint than onshore plants fuelled by crude oil, gas, or coal.

According to proponents of the floating NPP idea, these plants are also lower-risk than nuclear plants on land. They are more resilient to earthquakes and tsunamis, and they have constant access to cooling water, since Akademik Lomonosov’s reactors are suspended below sea level, so a meltdown is more unlikely than on land. Basically, all such a floating plant needs is a power line nearby. This portability is also a major plus, as they can be towed to any location that needs energy.

This could solve a lot of the energy challenges related to Arctic hydrocarbon extraction, as nuclear energy is much more reliable in terms of permanent supply than any renewable alternative to date, but as is the case with all nuclear technology, some issues could be risky.

According to a Greenpeace expert, storms can do to floating NPPS what earthquakes and tsunamis can’t. To illustrate, Jan Haverkamp refers to the fate of the Sturgis, a U.S. floating mini-NPP that was seriously damaged after being decommissioned and en route to the coast. He doesn’t, however, mention any spill of radioactive fuel as a result of the damage.

Another nuclear expert, Julius Cesar I. Trajano from the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, says that the question of transporting waste fuel in a safe way remains a challenge with floating NPPs. With Akademik Lomonossov, the challenge is being addressed by organizing the productive life of the plant into 12-year cycles: at the end of each, the plant will be taken to the shipyard, to dispose of the waste fuel and reload it with fresh uranium.

Another potential problem is the absence of back-up energy sources in case of an accident, unlike onshore NPPs. This latter problem could make it that much harder to handle a radioactive spill.

Then there is the risk of terrorists taking over a floating NPP, although admittedly, Trajano sees this as a risk in Southeast Asia, where China is preparing to start building floating NPPs for the South China Sea, a focal point for territorial disputes with its neighbors.:disagree:

There is also the risk of a cybersecurity breach, which is more relevant to the Russian NPP, but there is no information available on how this threat would be managed. Managed it will be, though, there is no doubt about this.

The first large-scale floating NPP could mark the beginning of a new stage in power generation, despite the widespread opposition to nuclear power. Yet, for all the praise Akademik Lomonossov has received as an alternative and cleaner-than-coal source of energy to Far East cities, its primary role is more likely to be the vital power lifeline supplying juice for the offshore platforms that are bound to multiply in Russia’s Arctic waters.

http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-G...mpletion-Of-First-Floating-Nuclear-Plant.html
 
My knowledge its pretty limited, but this article its good, its from October last year.


Russia Nears Completion Of First Floating Nuclear Plant

Russian company Zapsibgidrostroy (it’s a mouthful, yes) has begun the
construction of the docks that will carry the world’s first floating nuclear power plant to its location off the Chukotka coast. From there, the NPP will supply power to the coast and to the offshore oil and gas platforms pumping crude in Arctic waters, starting in 2019.

Work on the 21,000-ton NPP, named Akademik Lomonossov, has been in progress since 2007, and the plant itself is already complete and undergoing tests. With two low-enriched uranium reactors with a combined installed capacity of 75 MW, the plant, once operational, should be able to produce enough electricity to supply a city of 200,000, along with 300 MW of heat that will save 200,000 tons of coal annually.

Civil power and heating supply aside, Akademik Lomonosov could turn into just the first step towards a whole fleet of floating NPPs that will power Russia’s advance into the Arctic hydrocarbon wealth.

Temperatures in Russia’s Far East sometimes reach minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit in winter, which greatly increases the energy needs of any production facility in Arctic waters. Floating NPPs can respond to these needs at a lower carbon footprint than onshore plants fuelled by crude oil, gas, or coal.

According to proponents of the floating NPP idea, these plants are also lower-risk than nuclear plants on land. They are more resilient to earthquakes and tsunamis, and they have constant access to cooling water, since Akademik Lomonosov’s reactors are suspended below sea level, so a meltdown is more unlikely than on land. Basically, all such a floating plant needs is a power line nearby. This portability is also a major plus, as they can be towed to any location that needs energy.

This could solve a lot of the energy challenges related to Arctic hydrocarbon extraction, as nuclear energy is much more reliable in terms of permanent supply than any renewable alternative to date, but as is the case with all nuclear technology, some issues could be risky.

According to a Greenpeace expert, storms can do to floating NPPS what earthquakes and tsunamis can’t. To illustrate, Jan Haverkamp refers to the fate of the Sturgis, a U.S. floating mini-NPP that was seriously damaged after being decommissioned and en route to the coast. He doesn’t, however, mention any spill of radioactive fuel as a result of the damage.

Another nuclear expert, Julius Cesar I. Trajano from the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, says that the question of transporting waste fuel in a safe way remains a challenge with floating NPPs. With Akademik Lomonossov, the challenge is being addressed by organizing the productive life of the plant into 12-year cycles: at the end of each, the plant will be taken to the shipyard, to dispose of the waste fuel and reload it with fresh uranium.

Another potential problem is the absence of back-up energy sources in case of an accident, unlike onshore NPPs. This latter problem could make it that much harder to handle a radioactive spill.

Then there is the risk of terrorists taking over a floating NPP, although admittedly, Trajano sees this as a risk in Southeast Asia, where China is preparing to start building floating NPPs for the South China Sea, a focal point for territorial disputes with its neighbors.:disagree:

There is also the risk of a cybersecurity breach, which is more relevant to the Russian NPP, but there is no information available on how this threat would be managed. Managed it will be, though, there is no doubt about this.

The first large-scale floating NPP could mark the beginning of a new stage in power generation, despite the widespread opposition to nuclear power. Yet, for all the praise Akademik Lomonossov has received as an alternative and cleaner-than-coal source of energy to Far East cities, its primary role is more likely to be the vital power lifeline supplying juice for the offshore platforms that are bound to multiply in Russia’s Arctic waters.

http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-G...mpletion-Of-First-Floating-Nuclear-Plant.html

It is all about the Arctic. Russia is preparing for the coming changes in international trade routes.

It already has world 's largest ice-breaker fleet, including nuclear ones.

It is good that China and Russia seek cooperation on this strategic area. Energy and trade are all related.
 
Westinghouse going bust is definitely great news for China's three nuclear power players. :D:D

=======
China's nuclear power technology goes global
China Plus | Updated: 2017-04-06 07:58

b083fe955a741a4fcbbc08.jpg

A technician works on a key component of the Hualong One reactor in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province. [File photo/Xinhua]

A recent cooperation deal between China and Kenya has become an important step for China's nuclear power technology to go global.

China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) announced recently that the company had signed a nuclear power training cooperation framework agreement, as well as a confidentiality agreement, with the Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board.

Under the deal, China's Hualong One reactor, a Gen-III nuclear power reactor design with self-reliant intellectual property rights, is expected to be applied in Africa, reports People's Daily.

The Hualong One 1000-megawatt class pressurized water reactor, developed by CGN and China National Nuclear Corporation, is reported to have reached the highest international safety standards to prevent leakage of radioactive materials and resist outer impacts and earthquakes with magnitudes comparable to that of the quake in Japan's Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011.

CGN has formed a joint venture with Electricite de France SA to develop the Bradwell nuclear power plant in the UK, as well as to fund and design the reactor.

The British government started an assessment of the reactor design in January this year. The process is expected to take about five years.

Observers say there is a high possibility that the reactor design will pass the UK's approval process, China Daily reports.

The Generic Design Assessment is a very strict nuclear power assessment. Passing the assessment will further facilitate the export of Chinese nuclear power technology.

CGN has signed MoUs or letters of intent on nuclear power cooperation with over 20 foreign companies and government departments.

More countries, such as Indonesia, South Africa, Turkey and Kazakhstan, have shown interest in the Hualong One reactor.

http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2017-04/06/content_28811539.htm


======
China, Thailand agree to nuclear energy cooperation
05 April 2017

China and Thailand have a signed an agreement to cooperate in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The agreement was signed in Beijing on 29 March by Nur Bekri, director of China's National Energy Administration (NEA), and Thai energy minister Anantaporn Kanchanarat.

China-Thailand%20-%20April%202016%20-%20460%20(NEA).jpg

Kanchanarat (left) and Bekri shake on the agreement (Image: NEA)

According to an NEA statement on 1 April, the two countries also discussed bilateral cooperation on nuclear power, power networking, power trading and others areas of potential cooperation.

"China is very willing to provide Thailand with the most advanced, most economical and safest nuclear power technology, as well as equipment, management experience and quality service," China General Nuclear (CGN) said the same day.

CGN added that China and Thailand had cooperated in nuclear energy over recent years. In particular, China has provided training for hundreds of Thai nuclear professionals and technical personnel.

Bekri said he hoped that through the agreement, China and Thailand can "strengthen communication, enhance understanding and make greater progress in nuclear cooperation".

Thailand's National Energy Policy Council commissioned a feasibility study for a nuclear power plant in the country and in 2007 approved a Power Development Plan for 2007-2021, including the construction of 4000 MWe of nuclear generating capacity, starting up in 2020-21. The new Power Development Plan 2010-30, approved in 2010, envisages five 1000 MWe units starting up over 2020-28.

In June 2015, CGN said Thailand was carrying out an independent review of the Hualong One:enjoy: reactor technology. The design, CGN anticipates, could make Thailand's short-list for possible deployment in any future nuclear power program.

Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding - Thailand's largest private power company - agreed in December 2015 to take a 10% stake in the two Hualong One reactors being built as Phase II of CGN's Fangchenggang nuclear power plant in China's Guangxi province.

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP-China-Thailand-agree-to-nuclear-energy-cooperation-0504174.html
 
Westinghouse going bust is definitely great news for China's three nuclear power players. :D:D

China's nuclear power technology goes global

Just as I anticipated. I think China already has its hand almost full.
 
China expected to export nuclear technology to UK

017-04-07 10:00

People's Daily Editor: Wang Fan

China is expected to export nuclear technology to the UK, a traditional nuclear power that realized commercialization of nuclear energy, after China's Hualong One reactor finally gets a permit to enter the latter's market, sources from China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) told the People's Daily.

The UK government has started an assessment to build a nuclear power plant at Bradwell in southeastern England, disclosed an official from CGN, adding that the chances are high that the Hualong One reactor will pass UK's approval.

It is estimated that the value of one nuclear reactor sold abroad equals that of 1 million cars. If approved by the UK, the Hualong reactor will, together with the high-speed train technology, become name cards of China's high-end manufacturing industry in the world.

The Hualong One reactor was jointly developed by CGN and China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), sources said.

For the sake of safety, China has learnt lessons from Japan's Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011 and followed the latest nuclear safety requirements. The reactor keeps abreast with a high safety index: It has double-layer safety shells, offering enhanced protection capabilities against commercial airplane crash.

The UK has the strictest nuclear regulations in the world. In this January, the country approved to launch an assessment to review the design of the reactor. If the Hualong One reactor can pass the assessment in the next five years, it will surely get a passport in the world's atomic industry.

In another development, sources said that the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kenya will be examined under the training cooperation framework agreement and confidentiality agreement signed between CGN and the Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board.

Under the agreement, the two sides will launch comprehensive cooperation in terms of technology and business. It is regarded as an important step for the Hualong One reactor's entry into the African market as well as the export of China's unitized technology, equipment and general contracting services.

http://www.ecns.cn/business/2017/04-07/252409.shtml
 
The UK has the strictest nuclear regulations in the world. In this January, the country approved to launch an assessment to review the design of the reactor. If the Hualong One reactor can pass the assessment in the next five years, it will surely get a passport in the world's atomic industry.

Good news, but this assessment will take up to five years.

This is still a fair way to go.

Let's not celebrate, i.e. counting the chickens before they are hatched!
 

Pakistan Affairs Latest Posts

Back
Top Bottom