China Friday began the construction of the country's first indigenously-built 1000 MW nuclear power plant in Shenzhen, a booming hi-tech city in south China's Guangdong province.
Ling'ao II, one of the key projects included in China's 10th five-year plan period (2001-2005), will have two generating units, each with an installed capacity of 1000 MW. The first unit is scheduled to start operation in December 2010 and the second in August 2011, China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Co Ltd sources said.
On completion, the two generating units will generate a total of 150 billion kilowatt hours of electricity each year.
Ling'ao II is based on pressurised water reactor technology with improvement from Chinese scientists. CGNPC spent over 20 years to develop the technology imported from France. It is the third commercial nuke power plant in Guangdong, where the country's first nuke power plant -- Daya Bay nuclear power plant -- began construction in 1991.
The new plant will be adjacent to the site of Daya Bay nuclear power plant. Ling'ao I project began commercial operation in 2003, with two 990 MW generating units.
The nine nuclear generation units in operation include four in Daya Bay and Ling Ao Nuclear Power Plant in Guangdong and five in Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant in east China's Zhejiang Province. The other two units are under construction in Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant of Jiangsu Province, east China.
Guangdong is also expediting preparation for construction of another nuke power plant in Yangjiang, a coastal city.
Construction of the nuclear reactor of that plant will officially begin by the end of 2006, Xinhua news agency reported.
