China / Russia China and Russia have begun construction of their first jointly built nuclear reactor, a VVER-1000 being built near Lianyun Harbour in the eastern province of Jiangsu. It is currently scheduled for completion by 2005.
Russia’s Deputy Atomic Energy Minister Yevgeny Reshetnikov says equipment has already been supplied weighing 600 t. China has approved the design, produced by the Atomenergoproeckt Research Institute in St Petersburg. Laying the foundations will begin on 15 October. Assembling the reactor will begin 24 months after the start of concrete pouring. MINATOM expects 1300 Russian experts to be present at the construction site at the peak of work.
Russia is also planning to supply China with a research reactor. Russia’s Scientific-Industrial Association of Nuclear Energy Enterprises and the Chinese Nuclear Energy Industry Company have signed a contract whereby Russian experts will supply designs for the reactor.
