Nuclear firms to combine

"The merger will work to the advantage of the nuclear power industry, which is experiencing the fastest growth in the world," he said. "Several nuclear power plant projects are already underway and may are set for construction later this year."

He said that units 5 and 6 of the Hongyan River nuclear project in Liaoning province, the Shidao Bay nuclear demonstration project in Shandong province and units 5 and 6 of the Fuqing nuclear power plant in Fujian province, are likely to be the first candidates for approval.

Meanwhile, the consolidation also signals that a nuclear trio has officially formed in China - China National Nuclear Corp, China General Nuclear Power Group, as well as the combined SNPTC and China Power Investment Corp group.

Compared with CNNC and CGN, SNPTC is a new entrant in the market formed by the State Council in 2007 to handle nuclear technology development.

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 does not have the license for construction and operation of nuclear power plants.

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