China - China is likely to build a new 2000 MW nuclear plant in booming Zhejiang province next year at a cost of $2 bn, to feed the areas growing electricity demand, according to the China National Nuclear Corp.
The coastal provinces of Shandong and Guangdong could also be the sites of new nuclear plants, under plans currently being reviewed by the State Council.
Sun Qin, deputy general manager of the Corporation, has been quoted as stating that new build on this scale is inevitable, although it will probably be staggered.
If the Zhejing plant goes ahead, it will be Chinas seventh nuclear power plant and the first to be approved by the government in the last five years. It is likely to be built at Sanmen, near the Qinshan plant, Chinas first home-designed generating reactor, and will probably be a two unit 2 GWe plant with eventual expansion to 6 GWe.
Although final government approval has yet to be gained, the corporation has been lobbying hard and has already made preparations for groundbreaking including levelling of the ground and installing water and power supplies.