China's State Council on July 31 granted approval for the construction of six nuclear reactors in three projects (two each), with a combined investment of 120 billion yuan ($16.8 billion).
The projects are slated for expansion in three provinces, Shidaowan project in Shandong province, Ningde in Fujian, and Xudabao in Liaoning. Each reactor, estimated to cost 20 billion yuan(around $2.8 billion), will have a capacity exceeding 1,200 MW.
In Ningde project, the No.5 and No.6 reactors will be built by China General Nuclear Power (CGN) using the domestically-developed third-generation nuclear technology known as Hualong One.
Meanwhile, the expansion of Shidaowan project will see the addition of two reactors by China Huaneng Group, also utilizing Hualong One technology.
The Xudabao Nuclear Power Plant will undergo an expansion with the construction of reactors No. 1 and 2, under the responsibility of China National Nuclear Corporation. Each reactor will have a capacity of 1,291 MW, as announced by China National Nuclear Power, the listed arm of China National Nuclear Corporation.
Hualong One, a joint development by China National Nuclear Corporation and China General Nuclear Power, is designed for mass production. CGN is capable of producing 20 Hualong One reactors simultaneously and has collaborated with over 5,000 firms in the supply chain across upstream and downstream segments.
After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in Japan in 2011, China temporarily suspended the construction of nuclear power projects and only resumed development in 2019.
Since then, the country has approved the construction of ten new reactors. Currently, China has 77 nuclear reactors operational and under construction, making it the second-largest nuclear power producer globally, after the United States.
(Writing by Alex Guo Editing by Emma Yang)
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