New Chinese nuclear reactors near completion despite safety concerns

China expects its third-generation nuclear reactors to come online by 2013 notwithstanding misgivings about their safety.

China began building its first third-generation pressurized water reactors in 2009. These reactors are the first in the world to use the AP1000 technologies developed by Westinghouse Electric Company Llc based in Pennsylvania, USA.

Construction progress slowed after the twin disasters in Japan sparked a nuclear power crisis. The resulting outcry against nuclear power caused delays of six to 12 months for the reactors under construction in China's coastal areas, according to Wang Binghua, board chairman of the State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC).

Wang also attributed the delays to Westinghouse's design adjustments during construction and a stricter construction requirement for endurance concerns.

It has also taken more time for the construction and management staff to adapt to the construction methods of third-generation reactors, he added.

Wang said he was confident of bringing the No.1 Unit of the Sanmen Nuclear Power Project in China's east Zhejiang Province, one of the reactors under construction, into operation in 2013.

Wang also noted that designers of the projects have strengthened safety evaluation after the Japan crisis.

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