Pilot nuclear power project gains steam

Construction on the second unit of a pilot nuclear power project, which uses a Chinese-designed reactor, began in southeast China on Tuesday.

Workers on Tuesday morning broke ground on the unit that will use Hualong One technology, a domestically-developed third generation reactor, in Fuqing, Fujian Province.

Hualong One was jointly designed by China's nuclear power giants, China General Nuclear Power Group and China National Nuclear Corp. (CNNC). It passed inspection by a national panel in August 2014.

The government has approved the CNNC Fuqing branch to build six nuclear power units. The No. 5 and 6 units will be a pilot project featuring Hualong One. Construction on the No. 5 unit began in May.

The latest unit will take about 62 months to build, according to the CNNC Fuqing branch.

"The Hualong One technology will eventually become a powerful source of energy that will support economic growth along the southeastern coast," said Xu Ligen, deputy general manager of the CNNC Fuqing branch.

Another pilot project using Hualong One will begin later this month in Fangchenggang City in southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Xing Ji, chief designer of Hualong One, said China owns the complete intellectual property rights of Hualong One and the pilot project will help pave the way for China's nuclear power equipment to go global.

China plans to reach 58 million kilowatts of installed nuclear capacity by 2020.

The country has actively promoted Hualong One at home and abroad, with an agreement with Argentina in November guaranteeing the use of it in the fifth nuclear plant in Argentina, a key emerging market for Chinese companies. Endi