Boom Times For China's Nuclear Power Industry

6) Ningde Nuclear Power Plant

The first of six 1,080 megawatt CPR-1000 pressurized water reactors at the Ningde Nuclear Power Plant in China's southeastern Fujian province was connected to the national electric power grid for testing purposes on December 28th, 2012.



All four reactors at the Ningde Phase I complex should be up and running by the end of 2015 with a further two reactors comprising Phase II scheduled to join them at a yet undisclosed date. (Chinese nuclear plant images via World Nuclear News and Zhejiang Dadi Steel Co., Ltd.)   

7) Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant

The Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant in China's northeastern Liaoning Province will eventually comprise six 1,000 megawatt CPR-1000 pressurized water reactors – at press time four of the reactors were under construction. The first reactor, Hongyanhe 1, started criticality testing on January 16th of 2013 and almost exactly one month later achieved successful connection to the national electric grid.



All four reactors are expected to be in full operating mode sometime in 2014 with an additional two reactors coming online one to three years after. (Chinese nuclear plant images via Business Insider and L-3 MAPPS)    

8) Yangjiang Nuclear Power Station

Following a safety review ordered by the Chinese government in the aftermath of the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, construction has resumed on Phase I of the Yangjiang Nuclear Power Station. The first of four 1,000 megawatt CPR-1000 pressurized water reactors is expected to be finished in August of 2013.



By the end of 2017 all four reactors should be operating with another two planned for the end of the decade. The complex is located in Yangjiang City on China's southern coast, west of Hong Kong. (Chinese nuclear plant images via Business Insider and Xinhuanet)  

9) Sanmen Nuclear Power Station

Phase I of the Sanmen Nuclear Power Station is now under construction with the first  Westinghouse-developed AP1000 pressurized water reactor scheduled to begin operating in October of 2013 and second in June of 2014. Phase II, comprising an additional four AP1000 reactors, is envisioned for the future though no set timeline has been announced.



The Sanmen Nuclear Power Station is located on the coast of Zhejiang province and will greatly boost the amount of electrical energy available to Shanghai and surrounding cities. (Chinese nuclear plant images via China.org.cn and CABR Tech)    

10) Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant

Located on the coast of Xinghua Bay in Fujian province, the Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant has been under construction since November of 2008 and the first of six planned 1,000 megawatt CPR-1000 pressurized water reactors will begin generating power in November of 2013. A total of four reactors should be running by mid-2017.



The CPR-1000 is the most common type of nuclear reactor in China. Its advanced PWR (pressurized water) design is an incremental, Chinese-engineered development of the safe and reliable Areva-designed PWRs proven at the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant. (Chinese nuclear plant images via SINA and HDFX)