China Nuclear Engineering Group Co. (CNEG) eyes to commence the establishment of the world's first-ever commercial fourth-generation nuclear power plant in 2017, should the central government approve its plan.
The power plant will be located in Ruijin in China's eastern province of Jiangxi. The facility, which will employ high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, will be operational by 2021, CNEG officials announced on Monday.
However, CNEG is yet to receive permit from the national government.
Known for its safety design, the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor technology to be employed is an innovation independently advanced by China.
According to CNEG chairman Wang Shoujun, the technology is an assurance that the reactor's fuel elements will not be easily melted and that no radioactive particles will be discharged into the plant's environmental surroundings.
The construction of a demo plant was kicked off in 2012 in Shandong Province's Rongcheng City. The facility is expected to be running starting 2017.
China's nuclear expert committee has earlier approved a feasibility research for the nuclear power plant. CNEG and the provincial government of Jiangxi will then jointly submit an application to include the project in the country's nuclear program.
The application will be filed before the National Development and Reform Commission.
The CNEG chairman furthered that along with the building of the project's supporting facilities and the acquisition of land, more in-depth feasibility research will still be undertaken.
Currently, China has a total of 23 nuclear power plants in operation, while 27 are under construction. Nuclear safety official Tang Bo said that the latter figure comprises one-third of the unfinished nuclear units across the globe.