Merger of two major nuclear industry players to get green light

The merger of China Power Investment Corp and State Nuclear Power Technology Corp will soon get the green light, a move signaling that a market dominated by the nation's two largest nuclear giants will come to an end.

Currently, there are two major nuclear players in the world's fastest-growing nuclear market: China National Nuclear Corp, China General Nuclear Power Group.

Compared to CNNC and CGN, State Nuclear Power Technology Corp is a latecomer in the market established by the State Council in 2007.

Though it introduced third-generation nuclear power technology known as AP1000 from the US-based Westinghouse Electric Corp, which is controlled by Japan's Toshiba Group, it doesn't have the license for construction and operation of nuclear power plants.

But the combination will create another big nuclear power giant to compete with those two traditional nuclear players, given that CPI is one of the nation's Big Five power generation groups with the qualification to operate and build nuclear plants.