Lufeng, a city in the east of south China's Guangdong
Province, is likely to be the preferred location for the
province's fourth nuclear power plant, with construction likely to
start at the end of 2007.
China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Co Ltd confirmed the news
to China Daily yesterday.
Preparations for the fourth nuclear plant, part of the 11th
Five-Year Plan (2006-10), started two years ago. Four possible
sites in Guangdong's eastern coastal area were put originally
forward, two each in Huilai County and Lufeng.
During a conference on the project on Friday and Saturday, both
the Development and Reform Commission of Guangdong Province and
Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding recommended the Tianwei District of
Lufeng as the best choice.
"The site in Tianwei, Lufeng, has enough fresh water supplies
and enjoys advanced land and water transportation facilities," Yu
Jiechun, an executive from Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding,
said.
"The first phase of the project will be finished in 2013," Hu
Guangyao, an official of Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding, said.
"Two 1-million-kilowatt nuclear generating units will be put into
operation at that time, producing 15 billion kilowatt-hours of
energy a year."
But Hu would not predict a completion date for all six turbines
or talk about the total investment.
Guangdong is also speeding up preparations for construction of
another nuclear power plant in Yangjiang, a western coastal city.
Construction of the nuclear reactor of that plant will officially
begin by the end of 2006, Yu said.
The plant will include six generating units, each with installed
production capacity of 1 million kilowatts.
The first two units will be finished in 2010, with the last one
coming into operation in 15 to 20 years.
With all six turbines operating, the project will generate more
than 45 billion kilowatt-hours of energy a year.
Guangdong already has two nuclear plants in operation. Daya Bay
and Ling'ao nuclear power stations comprise four turbines, each
with an output of 1 million kilowatts.
Due to rapid economic growth, the electricity shortage in
Guangdong exceeded 3 million kilowatt-hours, or more than 10 per
cent, last year, according to provincial authority statistics.
Hu said: "We hope that increasing nuclear electricity output
will help ease Guangdong's energy crisis."
(China Daily August 16, 2005)