Construction started on China's first island nuclear power station today near Taiwan, People's Daily reported.

The Ningde Station, a key project of the country's nuclear power development plan from 2005 to 2020, is on an island in the East China Sea and near Ningde City of Fujian Province, the report said.

The first phase is expected to cost 51.2 billion yuan (US$7.19 billion), the report said. It will have four generators.

The first generator is expected to go online in 2012 while the others will go online successively in 2013, 2014 and in 2015, the report said.

Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Co, Shanghai-listed Datang International Power Generation Co and Fujian Coal Group jointly invested in Fujian's biggest energy project, the report said.

Ten nuclear reactors were either in use or under construction nationwide as of May last year. The country plans to spend more than US$50 billion to build another 30 nuclear reactors by 2020 as nuclear power will be a key focus in the country's clean energy development plans for the future.

(Shanghai Daily February 18, 2008)