China National Nuclear Corp. (CNNC) has signed two framework deals with Sudan to develop the country’s nuclear power capabilities including the construction of a 600-megawatt atomic reactor, the first of its kind in the country.
The deals may involve a blueprint for nuclear power development in the next decade for Sudan and building the first nuclear power station in the nation, according to a statement issued by the Chinese state-owned nuclear giant on Tuesday,
The agreements were signed on Monday during a three-day visit to Sudan by a Chinese delegation. It was led by Nur Bekri head of the National Energy Administration and deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission.
CNNC Chairman Sun Qin told China Daily that the company will cooperate with Sudan's Ministry of Water Resources and Electricity through the deal.
The company did not disclose the contract value or the type of nuclear technology to be used for the nuclear plant. However, industry experts believe that the homegrown reactor Hualong One, a type of third-generation technology, will be used for the reactor.
"Hualong One is most likely to have been chosen for Sudan," said Chai Guohan, chief engineer at the Ministry of Environmental Protection's Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center.
"China is looking to popularize this nuclear technology at home and abroad," Chai said.
China is home to the world's largest number of nuclear reactors under construction and has made significant inroads into global nuclear markets, including Britain and Argentina.
CNNC has entered agreements with Argentina to construct two nuclear plants in the country, while CGN, another domestic energy firm, partnered with Electricite de France to build three reactors in the U.K.
Sudan has been plagued by power shortages in recent years and is seeking two 600-megawatt pressurized water reactors to meet the burgeoning demand for electricity, with the construction of the first one slated to begin in 2021.
Sudanese Finance Minister Badr-Eddin Mahmoud said the agreements reviewed all energy issues facing the country and will seek solutions for these and for new projects in the future.