Hinkley Point C project proceeding well: CGN

GUANGZHOU - China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN), a major Chinese nuclear power operator, said Wednesday that nuclear projects in Britain were proceeding well.

He Yu, chairman of the board of CGN, said since the deals were inked in 2016 with French energy company EDF and the British government, CGN has invested 1.7 billion British pounds in order to advance the projects.

CGN signed agreements in 2016 for Hinkley Point C (HPC), a nuclear project in Somerset, and a suite of agreements relating to the Sizewell C (SZC) in eastern England and Bradwell B projects (BRB) in Essex.

"A total of 15 Chinese suppliers and contractors have passed a preliminary qualification assessment for the HPC project," He said. "HPC, which is Britain's first new nuclear power station in a generation, is the largest construction in Europe."

The construction site for HPC is the size of 245 football courts. It will use 23,000 tons of steel and 3 million tons of cement. A maximum of 5,600 people work every day at the site, according to He.

"CGN will actively share its experience with partners, and work with EDF in financing and process control. We will together build a high-quality benchmark nuclear station in the world," He said. "Meanwhile, preparatory work for Sizewell C and Bradwell B projects are also being carried out, and geological prospecting has started for BRB project."

The new reactor design from China, the UK HPR1000, developed by CGN and China National Nuclear Corporation is undergoing a phase-two process in the Generic Design Assessment in Britain, which allows regulators to begin assessing the safety, security and environmental aspects of new reactor designs.

HPR1000 is one of the most widely-received third-generation nuclear power models on the market, according to CGN.

The assessment is expected to enter phase three by the end of this year, He said.

According to the agreement, CGN will hold a 33.5 percent stake in the HPC project.

Founded in 1994, CGN is the largest nuclear power operator in China, with 39,000 employees worldwide. It focuses on the development of clean energies such as nuclear power, nuclear fuel, wind power and solar power. It is China's largest, and the world's third largest nuclear power operator.