Two nuclear power plants at Daya Bay, in south China's Guangdong Province, injected 29.92 billion kwh of electricity into power grids last year, a record high.

Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant produced and transferred to the power grid 14.86 billion kwh of electricity last year, said a press release from China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Co. Ltd., owner of the two power plants.

Not to be outdone, nearby Ling'ao Nuclear Power Plant, which also has two generating units, generated 15.06 billion kwh of electricity for the grid, according to the press release.

Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant, the first commercial nuclear power plant on the Chinese mainland, began operation in May 1994. The two generating units -- pressurized water reactors -- each has an installed capacity of 984,000 kw.

Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant generated and sold 156.4 billion kwh of electricity up to January 2006, of which 106.16 kwh were sold to Hong Kong. It has repaid at least US$5.38 billion, or 94.9 percent of the loans needed to build it.

Ling'ao first phase, equipped with two 990,000-kw pressurized water reactors, is the second commercial nuclear power plant in Guangdong. It began operation four years ago to the day, and has so far generated 47.05 billion kwh of electricity up to January 2006. It has refunded at least US$1.03 billion, or 21.08 percent of the loans used to build it.

Construction of a third commercial nuclear power plant in Guangdong, Ling'ao second phase, where two more 1-million-kw pressurized water reactors will be installed, began in December 2005. The two generating units will go into operation in 2010 and 2011.

(Xinhua News Agency January 9, 2007)