NUCLEAR-POWER PROGRAM IN CHINA

The People's Republic of China has large coal as well as oil and gas reserves of its own. Within the current ten-year plan, the installed electric generating capacity is to be expanded to 270 GWh, the generation to 1200 TWh, by the year 2000. Plans provide for the construction of nuclear power plants with a cumulated power of 500 GWh. Qinshan-1 is in operation, Daya Bay-1 and -2 (2 - 900 MWe PWR) are to be connected to the power grid in 1993 and 1994, respectively. Pressurized water reactors of 600 and 1 000 MWe are under consideration for Qinshan-2 and -3. The four units on the sites of Guangdong and Liaoning are to be equipped with 1000 MWe PWR; under an agreement with Russia, VVER- 1000 reactors could be the units of choice. Four units are to be built on two sites near Zhejiang. Discussions are under way with Westinghouse about the use of AP600 reactors and, with Japanese firms, about the installations of AP900 reactors.