More nuclear power plants planned
( 2003-10-25 14:30) (Xinhua)
China will build one new nuclear power plant with an installed capacity of 2 million kilowatts at the mid-eastern coast of Zhejiang Province.
Kang Rixin, general manager of China Nuclear Industry Group Corporation, said Zhejiang, with its fine economic and geographical conditions, is expected to become China's biggest nuclear power base.
China's plans to build a comparatively affluent society in an all-round way requires a total installed capacity of 8 trillion kilowatts by the year 2020, when that of nuclear power plants willaccount for 4 percent to reach 32 million kilowatts.
This means that more than 20 new nuclear plants would be constructed for hit the goal, said an official from the State Development and Reform Commission.
The economically developed eastern China province houses the first nuclear power plant in the Chinese mainland, the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant. Qinshan plant, situated near Haiyan on the northern bank of Hangzhou Bay, has an installed capacity of 2.9 million kilowatts.
Two heavy-water reactor generating units, with a generating capacity of 700,000 kilowatts each, have been installed in the Qinshan plant's third phase.
Chinese Vice-Premier Zeng Peiyan and visiting Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien Thursday attended a ceremony to mark to completion of the third phrase of the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant,the biggest cooperation project between the two countries.
The first generating unit began commercial operation in late December last year and the second one in July this year. They haveso far generated 6.16 billion kilowatts-hour of electricity.
There are now four nuclear power plants operating in China. Beside Qinshan, Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant and Ling'ao Nuclear Power Plant are located in Guangdong Province, south China, and Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant is built in Lianyungang City of Jiangsu Province in the east. They four have a combined installed capacity up to 8.7 million kilowatts.
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