Two newly approved projects in China will include AP1000 technology-based nuclear reactors made by Cranberry Township, Pa.-based Westinghouse Electric Co., bringing the total number of operational and approved reactors in China based on this technology to 16.
“Westinghouse AP1000 technology continues to be recognized for its record-breaking operational and availability performance through successful deployments in China and the U.S.,” said Westinghouse President and CEO Patrick Fragman on Aug. 29. “Utilities are clearly seeing the value of the AP1000 platform and are making it a part of their long-term investments to provide safe, clean and reliable base-load electricity.”
China’s State Power Investment Corp. (SPIC) and China General Nuclear Power Corp. (CGN) received approvals from China’s State Council to add four AP1000 technology-based plants to their growing list of newbuild projects.
Two reactors will be built as a part of the Bailong Nuclear Power Project, which is owned by SPIC in Guangxi Province. The project will include a total of six AP1000 technology-based units and construction at the site now may begin with preparatory groundwork.
The other two units owned by CGN were approved for the Lufeng Nuclear Power Plant, located in Guangdong Province. Sitework is currently under way in preparation for the First Concrete Day of the nuclear island foundation.
“With these new approvals and their delivery schedule, there will be 18 units based on AP1000 technology in operation globally by the end of the decade,” Fragman said.
The AP1000 reactor is the only operating Generation III+ reactor with fully passive safety systems, modular construction design, and the smallest footprint per megawatt electrical (MWe) on the market, according to Westinghouse.
In addition to the four AP1000 reactors in China with eight additional reactors under construction, there are two operating AP1000 units at the Vogtle site in Georgia, the company said, adding that the AP1000 technology has been selected for the nuclear energy programs in Poland, Ukraine and Bulgaria, and is also under consideration at multiple other sites in Central and Eastern Europe, the United Kingdom, India and North America.