Plans for 2017 released by China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) envisage completing construction of five nuclear power reactors, starting construction of eight (not named) and progressing plans for a further eight.
The plans basically reflect those outlined in China's 13th Five-Year Plan, released last year, which will see operating nuclear generating capacity double by 2020.
In its Energy Work Guidance Opinion for 2017, NEA said construction will be completed of the Sanmen 1 and Haiyang 1 AP1000 units, the Taishan 1 EPR and the Fuqing 4 and Yangjiang 4 CPR-1000 units. These, together with “other projects”, will add some 6.41GWe of nuclear generating capacity.
NEA said it will promote the construction of "qualified" nuclear power projects and there would be an orderly approval of coastal projects. There will be continued implementation of major nuclear power science and technology projects to promote the construction of the high-temperature gas-cooled demonstration project in Shidaowan in Shandong province. It also said it would "prudently" promote the preliminary work of small reactor demonstration projects and "actively explore the comprehensive utilisation of nuclear energy".
Preparatory work will be carried out this year on Sanmen 3&4, Ningde 5&6, and two units each at new plants at Zhangzhou in Fujian province and Huizhou in Guangdong province. Together with other projects, these will add 9.86GWe of nuclear generating capacity.
