After China General Nuclear Power Corp. (CGN) put in operation five nuclear power units, the total installed nuclear power capacity of the Shenzhen-based power firm increased to 17 gigawatts. The improvement boosted CGN’s global ranking for operating capacity by ranking 5th, up from its 8th ranking 2014.
The 17 gigawatts boosted CGN’s total installed capacity of operating units to 31.2 gigawatts, a 33.8 percent jump compared to a year ago, said Yuan Changhong, spokesperson of CGN. If the company’s 12 nuclear power units under construction, which would add 14.65 gigawatts of total capacity, would become operational, total capacity would jump to 45.85 gigawatts.
As it is, the capacity of the 12 being built is about one-fifth of the global total nuclear capacity under construction. It highlights the increasing reliance of China on nuclear power for its electricity needs.
Since CGN’s nuclear power plants were in stable operation in 2015, it boosted its contribution to the national grid by 20 percent to 88.3 billion kilowatts.
China’s boost of nuclear use to generate electricity is not limited locally. Beijing is promoting overseas Hualong One, the country’s third-generation nuclear reactor design. One power project in eastern Fujian and another in southern Guangxi, which are both being built since 2015, would use the Hualong One technology.
CGN and Electricite de France are also building in Britain a nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point, following the signing in October 2015 of an agreement between the two power firms. Two more similar projects using the Hualong One design would be constructed by the partners at Sizewell in Suffolk and Bradwell in Essex.
Besides these CGN ventures, the China Atomic Energy Authority is planning to build a floating nuclear power station to double the country’s atomic capacity by 2020, disclosed Xu Dazhe, chairman of the authority. The power station is part of China’s target to become a maritime power by making full use of ocean resources, reported Japan Times.
The plant would be built by CGN and the China National Nuclear Corp. as part of a five-year plan for 2016 to 2020.