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

[TaiShang]

China aims to become world's top nuclear power producer by 2030
TETSUYA ABE, Nikkei staff writer

China is rapidly building nuclear reactors, such as this one under construction at the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant in Taishan, Guangdong Province. © Reuters

BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's government is poised to greatly expand the country's nuclear power generation, with plans to build six to eight new reactors a year over the next five years.

Under its 13th five-year national development plan, which starts in 2016, China will invest 500 billion yuan ($78.7 billion) to introduce domestically developed reactors. The new five-year plan is to be formally adopted at next spring's annual session of the National People's Congress, China's parliament.

The government plans to make nuclear power a pillar of its economic policy and increase support for related government organizations and industries. Under previous five-year plans, Chinese authorities approved construction of three to five reactors a year.

According to the European Nuclear Society, China is now the world's fifth-largest nuclear power producer in terms of capacity, after the U.S., France, Japan and Russia. The Xi government aims to make China the world's top generator in terms of both capacity and number of reactors by 2030.

Bigger is better

Under the next five-year plan, China's nuclear power capacity is to triple by 2020, compared with the end of 2014, reaching 58,000 megawatts and matching that of France. By 2030, China is expected to have more than 110 nuclear reactors in operation, exceeding the number in the U.S.

According to the China Nuclear Energy Association, there are 25 nuclear reactors operating in the country and a further 26 under construction. Under its current five-year plan, China has frozen new nuclear projects, in principle, in the wake of the 2011 nuclear disaster at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

In addition to unfreezing new projects, China will lift a ban on nuclear projects in inland areas and promote the introduction of domestically developed reactors under its next five-year plan. China hopes to make nuclear reactors a major infrastructure export in the future, along with high-speed trains.

 

[tranquilium]

I am in favor of nuclear replacing coal/gas capacity. With load prediction and national interconnectivity, nuclear is pretty the best (and only) alternative capable of replacing coal/gas. It is actually less about volume of power generation and more about controllability.

 

[Jlaw]

Great! China need more energy and refined uranium. Win-win for the world.

 

[Shotgunner51]

China hopes to make nuclear reactors a major infrastructure export

This is excellent!

 

[TaiShang]

Third unit of S. China nuclear plant begins operation
Published: 2015-10-19 23:27:46

The third unit of the Yangjiang nuclear power plant in the southern province of Guangdong began operation on Sunday, the China General Nuclear Power Corp. (CGN), the owner of the plant, said on Monday.

The third unit is in good condition and will be officially put into commercial use after tests, according to a statement issued by CGN.

Construction on the third unit began in 2010. The first and second units of the plant were put into commercial use in March 2014 and June 2015, respectively.

The Yangjiang nuclear plant's six units will generate 48 billion kwh of electricity a year after they all go into commercial operation in 2019. The other three units are under construction.

The CGN has currently 15 nuclear power units capable of generation, with a total installed capacity of about 16 million kw.

 

[Keel]

中企欧洲核电第二单落定:中广核拿下罗马尼亚合
同

• 反应堆开了绿灯。这是中国公司在欧洲核电领域获得的第二个重要合同。
  
  
  　　罗马尼亚国家核电公司当天在一份公告中表示，该公司的股东大会通过了与中广核集团未来合作协议，该计划涉及切尔纳沃德核3、4号机组的建设工作。罗马尼亚能源部长Andrei Gerea15日宣布，两个公司的合作谅解备忘录将于11月份签署并敲定，两年后开始动工。
  
  
  
  
  2
  
  　　罗马尼亚切尔纳沃德（Cernavoda）核电站
  
  　　该谅解备忘录主要确定罗马尼亚国家核电公司（SNN）和中国广核集团（CGN）就建设和运营切尔纳沃德核电站3、4号机组将来的合作方向。备忘录签订后，罗核电公司和中广核将进入前期启动和完成工作计划步骤的协商程序：投资协议谈判以及新项目公司的章程谈判、新项目公司的构成（该新的项目公司是合资公司，中广核持股51%）、合资公司将来的公司治理以及项目开发的融资结构。
  
  　　该备忘录约定，就切尔纳沃德3、4号机组建设，罗核电公司将对合资公司投入200万欧元注册资本金，占49%股权；中国投资方即中广核占51%。
  
  　　罗马尼亚核电项目将是继中-英核电项目后，我核电在欧盟国家落地的又一项目，意义重大。
  
  　　早在2013年11月25日，国务院总理李克强访问罗马尼亚期间，中广核董事长贺禹和罗马尼亚国家核电公司总裁Daniela Lulache分别在关于建设切尔纳沃德核电站3、4号机组的合作意向书上签字。
  
  　　法新社指出，2014年布达佩斯就该核电项目进行公开招标后，中广核是唯一的竞标人，两个核反应堆的投资金额达60亿欧元。
  
  　　切尔纳沃德核电站位于多瑙河畔的罗马尼亚康斯坦察县，属内陆核电项目。项目规划建设５台核电机组，其中1、2号机组已建成运转，为该国提供17%的用电量。 3、4号机组是罗马尼亚政府重点推进的项目，已于2010年12月5日获得欧盟委员会(EC)的认可，计划于2019和2020年建成发电。
  
  　　绿色和平组织周四对罗马尼亚新核电项目进行批评，指出这会对罗马尼亚经济造成威胁，同时指责罗马尼亚政府不负责任的态度。
  
  　　罗马尼亚被视为中东欧地区发展潜力最大的国家之一。2013年罗马尼亚GDP增长3.5%，在欧盟国家中增幅最大；预计2014年到2021年，罗马尼亚GDP年均增长率为3.9%，电力消费也将维持2～3%的增长。
  
  　　经过20年的发展，中广核目前承担了中国64%的在运核电机组生产运营和51%的在建核电机组工程建设，是全球在建规模最大的核电建造商。成功承揽罗核项目意义重大：一是可有效输出和检验中广核在国内三十多年核电建设与运营所取得的工程设计及管理集成经验，培育国际化运作经验，锻炼国际化人才；二是可带动装备制造产业“走出去”，让中国制造走出国门，进入欧盟国家的高端能源市场；三是以核电技术服务输出到罗马尼亚为切入点，实现中国新能源等业务走向罗马尼亚，并进一步实现中国核电及新能源业务向周边辐射。

As the English version of the News hasnt been released yet, hereunder is a similar report published a bit earlier

Romania, Minister Gerea: The memo for the reactors 3 and 4 in Cernavoda, finalised in a few weeks | EnergyWorld Magazine

Romania, Minister Gerea: The memo for the reactors 3 and 4 in Cernavoda, finalised in a few weeks
17/09/2015


The Romanian authorities and the Chinese investor selected for the building of reactors 3 and 4 at the nuclear power station in Cernavoda will finalise in two-three weeks the memorandum which supports the contract, stated in an interview for Mediafax the minister of energy, Andrei Gerea.

Seven years ago, Nuclearelectrica had six foreign investors interested in the construction of the reactors 3 and 4 in the nuclear power station in Cernavoda. At present, only one company China General Nuclear Power Corporation is discussing with the minister for the development of this investment, but the negotiations are quite slow. Minister Gerea considers that the memorandum which is at the basis of the future contract for the development of the project could be signed in a few weeks, as there is only one point to discuss.

The nuclear power station in Cernavoda is also connected to the development of the new exploitation of uranium in the Carpatii Orientali which should insure the necessary fuel for the functioning of the two reactors. The project for the exploitation of the uranium ore in Tulghes in Carpatii Orientali which the authorities have in mind, Gerea considers that it is ‘ under analysis’ and ‘ a decision will be taken’ as soon as possible. Two years ago, the authorities had made a draft decision to start this investment, but as no financial sources had been found, the draft decision was not approved in the government.

As regards the conflict between the state and the Board of Electrica SA which has been underway for a long time, minister Gerea says that he supports the idea of the increase of the salary of the board members, but he asks them to get performance criteria. The representatives of the state in the AGA rejected the management plan proposed by the Board of the energy supplier Electrica, and the plan was rejected in AGA on Wednesday, the shareholders did not agree with the bonuses system and payment for the administrators.

 

[qwerrty]

Monday, November 16, 2015
Argentina, China seal US$15B nuclear deal

BELEK, Turkey — Argentina signed two nuclear power plant construction deals with China yesterday worth around US$15 billion, which would add 1,750 megawatts to the energy already produced by Argentina’s three nuclear power plants in Argentina.

About 85 percent of the cost of the project will be financed by Chinese firms, to be paid back in 18 years at an annual interest rate below 6.5 percent. More than 60 percent of the supplies will be locally manufactured, while the rest will be imported from China, Economy Minister Axel Kicillof said after signing the agreements alongside Planning Minister Julio de Vido.

“The agreements are of historic importance. They are very favourable for us as they give us energy and competitiveness. Both plants will be built with a lot of Argentine material,” Kicillof said. “Everything that we have done over the past 12 years will be capitalized with the steps we are taking on nuclear energy.”

The new deal represents a strong sign of the budding commercial relationship between Buenos Aires and Beijing at a time when Argentina has been locked out of international credit markets due to the legal conflict with the “vulture” funds. Ties between Argentina and the East Asian giant have been deepening since the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the country last year.

“It’s the highest investment anyone has ever made in the country, considering the preferential interest rate and the payment terms that were included in the agreements,” De Vido said. “It’s an essential step to diversify the country’s energy matrix by increasing the share of the nuclear power, whose development over the past few years has been a state policy.”

Yet coming so close to the presidential elections has also raised questions about whether the agreement would go forward. Let’s Change (Cambiemos) presidential contender Mauricio Macri has vowed to revise all agreements sealed with Moscow and Beijing if he wins the November 22 runoff.

More than 90 percent of Argentina’s energy matrix relies on hydrocarbon resources. Natural gas is by far the most common fuel in thermal plants that dominate the country’s energy sources. That is followed by hydroelectric power and then nuclear power and renewable energy with less than one percentage point.

The deal follows other significant Chinese investments in hydroelectric and nuclear energy, plus railway and maritime infrastructure. Argentina is already moving forward with the construction of two large hydroelectric plants in Santa Cruz called Kirchner and Cepernic, a project that will cost US$4.7 billion and will be financed by Chinese banks.

Following the signature of the agreement with China, Kicillof met with his Brazilian counterpart Joaquim Levy and highlighted the relationship between the two countries.

“We reviewed the current solutions that are being studied across the globe to solve the world crisis. A serious issue would be if they start to point the finger toward developing countries, saying they’re the ones to blame for the world’s slow growth rate,” Kicillof said.

Fight against patchy economy

With Kicillof filling in for President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, the heads of the world’s 20 largest economies pledged to use all of their policy tools to tackle uneven economic growth that falls short of expectations, according to a draft Group of 20 (G20) communique. In a nod to uncertainty in financial markets and worries about lagging output in much of the world, the leaders said they would stick to a target to boost the G20’s collective economic output by an additional two percent by 2018.

“Global economic growth is uneven and falls short of our expectations, despite the positive outlook in some major economies,” they said in the draft document, the final version of which is due to be released today.“A shortfall in global demand and structural problems continue to weigh on actual and potential growth.”

The leaders also endorsed a package of measures to tackle corporate tax avoidance, although questions remain about whether countries will follow through on the plans or leave loopholes multinationals can exploit. The Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) measures aim to close the gaps in existing international tax rules.

The global economy remains very much a mixed bag for investors, with the United States looking like it may hike interest rates for the first time since 2006 next month, while much of the rest of the world, including China, remains vulnerable.

The head of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, has underlined the ECB’s readiness to extend money printing, warning that inflation, a key measure of economic health, was flagging.

The timing of the Fed hike has been a constant source of concern for financial markets and emerging market economies, which have seen their currencies hammered this year as the dollar has risen sharply on expectations of a US rate hike.

In language likely aimed at the Fed hike, the leaders highlighted the need to “carefully calibrate” and clearly communicate policy decisions, to make sure markets are not taken by surprise by such key decisions.

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/203033/argentina-china-seal-us$15b-nuclear-deal

China, South Africa Sign Nuclear Energy Pact
Nov 16, 2015 Agence France-Presse

JOHANNESBURG — Nuclear energy regulators in South Africa and China have signed a technical cooperation agreement as Africa’s most industrialized economy presses forward with controversial plans to build eight new nuclear reactors.

The deal, which includes “licensing procedures, vendor inspections, inspector training, and joint inspections and technical support,” was signed last week in Beijing, according to a Monday announcement from South Africa’s National Nuclear Regulator (NNR).

China is competing with Russia, France, the United States and South Korea for the South African nuclear power plant construction program, which is worth up to $50 billion.

“Bilateral cooperation arrangements such as these serve as a valuable mechanism for ensuring that the NNR’s regulatory practices are ... benchmarked against the best current standards and practices as applied internationally within the nuclear industry,” NNR’s chief executive officer Bismark Tyobeka said in a statement.

The two countries signed a nuclear energy cooperation agreement a year ago, which Pretoria said was in preparation for a “possible” utilization of Chinese nuclear technology in the country. Similar agreements have been signed with the other bidders.

South Africa has one nuclear power station but relies heavily on coal for electricity generation.

The new reactors are expected to add 9,600 megawatts — or nearly one- third of the country’s generating capacity of 30,000 MW — with the first unit to be ready in 2023.

Power shortages have hobbled South Africa’s economic growth, but the plan to expand nuclear energy production has come under fire from critics over environmental concerns and fears that the cost could cripple the economy.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2015

 

[herono1]

China is a funny country. Signs 10s of billion dollars of deals with countries that do not have money to repay. They will have lots of non performing assets.

 

[qwerrty]

China is a funny country. Signs 10s of billion dollars of deals with countries that do not have money to repay. They will have lots of non performing assets.

they will pay with their natural resources

 

[Economic superpower]

China is a funny country. Signs 10s of billion dollars of deals with countries that do not have money to repay. They will have lots of non performing assets.

China loans money. 85% will be Chinese funded.

 

[zeronet]

China is a funny country. Signs 10s of billion dollars of deals with countries that do not have money to repay. They will have lots of non performing assets.

nope. it is a very profitable business to sell electricity. more over, Argentina is not a poor country who has plenty of resources to pay back. china doesn't need green paper as payment as other countries do. beef, soybean, food, coffee bean, live stocks, industrial/agriculture products, or even Lionel Messi, anything, can be accepted and way more perferred than green paper by china.

 

[AndrewJin]

Let's exchange for some beef!

 

[Kambojaric]

China is a funny country. Signs 10s of billion dollars of deals with countries that do not have money to repay. They will have lots of non performing assets.

They have the money already, now they have influence as well in this specific country. 10 of billions is not a big issue for a country with reserves of 3.6 trillion dollars. I highly doubt the Chinese government is very bothered with the repayment. Its the influence that it now has in a major south american nation that counts.

 

[herono1]

They have the money already, now they have influence as well in this specific country. 10 of billions is not a big issue for a country with reserves of 3.6 trillion dollars. I highly doubt the Chinese government is very bothered with the repayment. Its the influence that it now has in a major south american nation that counts.

Influence. You spent millions in Sri Lanka & got kicked out.

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

A good advertisement for China as even its high end products are now being widely accepted in the world.