Wang Binghua, chairman of the State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC), told China Business News that normally it takes four years to develop one generation of nuclear power production. By importing, developing and digesting nuclear technology, China is now trying to gain from other’s experience in the design, research, construction and installation processes for third-generation nuclear power plants though capacity-increasing transformation. "I think we can do that by 2017," said Wang.
China has already mastered the technology for second-generation power plant construction. The design of the first-stage of the Qinshan nuclear power plant was Chinese, while the Daya Bay plant was constructed jointly with Alstom of France, and both plants are now running smoothly. The second-stage Qinshan plant was designed and constructed and is operated and administrated by China itself.
The two original resources for nuclear technology were Westinghouse of the US and the Soviet Union. France and Korea innovated on their own after bringing in and absorbing Westinghouse technology. Areva of France has now become a rival of the US company, from which it imported its initial technology. In the past five years, China has joined them on the same road of absorption and digestion.
According to the eleventh "five-year-plan" for the development of nuclear power, China is to build 31 new nuclear power plants with the incremental generating capacity of 31 million kw by 2020, with both the growth and growth rate topping the world’s list. Meanwhile, China will reinforce science research and technology development. Through the combination of technology importation and independent development, China plans to independently build improved second-generation nuclear plants and prepare itself for independent construction of third-generation plants.
China has come to highly value the development of nuclear power. Five related laws have been passed. Formerly two enterprises in China, namely China National Nuclear Corporation and China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group (CGNPC), were alone qualified to develop nuclear power. Last year, China Power Investment Corporation (CPIC) was granted the qualification to construct and administer nuclear power. Since then, SNPTC was also founded, so now China’s nuclear club involves four major members.
CPIC was before a traditional power company, and spent four years trying before it gained a license for nuclear power. Other power companies are also involving themselves in this area. China Huaneng Group, jointly with Tsinghua University and China Nuclear Engineering & Construction Corporation, has already made its first attempt to establish a company to develop nuclear power, and China Datang Corporation, in partnership with CGNPC, owns a 44% stake of a project in Ningde, Fujian province, whilst CGNPC holds 46% with the remaining 10% taken by the local government. However, neither Huaneng nor Datang are majority holders in the joint ventures and thus cannot lead the construction and operation of power plants.
Private enterprises and foreign enterprises are strictly restrained in this area. Now all companies allowed to develop nuclear power are state-owned enterprises. With funds in abundance, these companies are most in need of more detailed uranium enrichment technology.
Earlier SNPTC finished the technology import preparing for the independent development of China’s third-generation nuclear power projects and the negotiations for the purchase of some nuclear assembly, which are paving the road for the future development of China’s nuclear technology.
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