Nuclear companies planning to power up exports

China has the world's largest number of reactors under construction, and it plans to translate that capacity into nuclear exports. Of 72 reactors under construction, 28 are in China. Russia, second on the list, is building 10 reactors

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The Chinese government suspended all nuclear projects following Japan's Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, but it now plans to approve more plants. The central government has already approved new reactors in coastal areas. There will not be any work on projects in inland areas until 2015.

Experts are confident in the prospects for technology exports, because China's newest reactors have higher safety levels and lower costs.

Zhang Luqing said the ACP1000, a third-generation reactor developed independently by CNNC, is ready for export. The ACP1000 reactor is equipped with safety mechanisms to withstand an accident similar to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011, and it also features proprietary fuel technology, he said.

"The ACP1000 is the only one we have with fully independent technology rights, which will lower the costs for reactors," he said.

Other Chinese companies have taken different technical routes.

State Nuclear Power Technology Co has developed the CAP1400, which was based on Westinghouse Co's AP1000.

Wang Binghua, president of the company, said that China will have full design rights for the CAP1400, which is 65 percent complete.

"About 80 percent of the components for the first two CAP1400 units will be made in China," he said, adding that the country is capable of making six to eight CAP1400 or AP1000 nuclear reactors each year.

Third-generation reactors rely on passive safety features, which do not require any action by human operators.

Chai Guohan, chief engineer in the nuclear and radiation safety center of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, said that no matter which technical route a Chinese company takes, it must commercialize its technology, or exports are just "empty talk".

"It will take time for Chinese companies to establish a global reputation, but if they speed up the commercialization phase of their nuclear plants, more technology will be exported to the Western markets," he said.