According to a reporter from State Power Investment Corporation of China, on April 26th, the first tank of concrete pouring (FCD) was successfully completed on the nuclear island of Unit 2 of the Guangdong Lianjiang Nuclear Power Project Phase I, marking the official start of construction for Unit 2 and entering a new stage of comprehensive construction for the Lianjiang Nuclear Power Project Phase I.
State Power Investment Corporation of China is one of the three major nuclear power groups in China. The Lianjiang Nuclear Power Project is the first nuclear power project developed and constructed by State Power Investment Corporation of China in Guangdong, and also the first nuclear power project in China to adopt seawater secondary circulation cooling technology. Among them, the first phase of the project involves the construction of two million kilowatt nuclear power units, each with a rated capacity of 1.25 million kilowatts. The advanced CAP1000 third-generation passive pressurized water reactor nuclear power technology is adopted, and after the two units are completed and put into operation, the annual power generation is about 20 billion kilowatt hours.
The Lianjiang Nuclear Power Project is located in Tianluoling, Cheban Town, Lianjiang City, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province. It plans to build six CAP series third-generation nuclear power units with a total installed capacity of 8.62 million kilowatts and a total investment of 130 billion yuan, with an average investment of nearly 21.6 billion yuan per unit. This demonstrates the significant driving effect of nuclear power construction on the economy.
The nuclear power industry is a highly interconnected and long chain industry, involving dozens of upstream and downstream industries. The construction of nuclear power projects not only promotes the improvement of the localization ability of nuclear power equipment manufacturing, but also drives the vigorous development of related industries such as metallurgy, electromechanical, and manufacturing in China.
Nuclear power is highly favored for its clean and environmentally friendly characteristics. Taking the Lianjiang Nuclear Power Project as an example, after the completion of all six units, the annual power generation of the project is about 70.2 billion kilowatt hours, which can reduce the consumption of standard coal by about 2007 million tons per year. The emission reduction effect is equivalent to planting about 148000 hectares of broad-leaved forest.
With the gradual construction of six domestically produced CAP1000 units, the CAP series third-generation nuclear power units are expected to achieve mass construction, further promoting the development of China’s nuclear power industry.
According to the reporter’s understanding, the CAP series third-generation nuclear power units were developed by State Power Investment Corporation of China based on the introduction of Westinghouse’s AP1000 technology. At present, China has built four AP1000 support projects in Sanmen, Zhejiang and Haiyang, Shandong. At this point, China has formed a parallel development pattern of “Hualong 1” and CAP series third-generation nuclear power units. Among them, “Hualong No. 1” was jointly built by CNNC and CGN.
As of the end of 2023, there were a total of 55 nuclear power units in operation in China, with an installed capacity ranking third in the world. In terms of the number of nuclear power units built, China ranks first in the world. The China Nuclear Industry Association predicts that China is expected to surpass the United States in terms of installed nuclear power capacity and become the world’s largest by 2030.
At present, the proportion of nuclear power generation in China is 5%, but according to industry experts, this proportion is expected to increase to around 10% by 2035, which means that nuclear power generation will double in growth. This trend not only demonstrates the important position of nuclear power in China’s energy structure, but also foreshadows the enormous development potential of the nuclear power industry in the future.
It is worth noting that with the rapid development of nuclear power and other atomic energy industries, the industry is strongly calling for the timely introduction of the top-level law related to nuclear laws and regulations – the Atomic Energy Law. This law is regarded as the parent law in this field and is of great significance for regulating industry development and ensuring nuclear energy safety. On April 24th, the 9th meeting of the 14th Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress reviewed the draft Atomic Energy Law of the People’s Republic of China in groups.
Professor Liu Jiu from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Harbin Engineering University participated in the research on the draft of the Atomic Energy Law. She told reporters from First Financial that compared to other nuclear related laws and regulations, the scope of the Atomic Energy Law is more extensive. For the development of China’s civil nuclear industry, the promulgation of the Atomic Energy Law is particularly important.