BEIJING: China has expanded its first nuclear power plant at Qinshan with installation of a new generator unit, authorities said on Sunday, indicating resumption of work at new nuclear projects halted for safety review in the wake of Fukushima atomic disaster in Japan last year.
The pressurised water reactor power-generating unit, with a capacity of 650,000 kw, takes the total number of generator units at Qinshan to seven and the total capacity to 4.32 million kw, China National Nuclear Corporation said in a statement.
The nuclear plant is expected to generate about 34 billion kwh of electricity annually, it said.
The expansion project of the nuclear plant started in 2006, aims to install two units.
The first one, also with a capacity of 650,000 kw, was put into commercial use in October 2010.
The new units are designed, built and operated by Chinese companies, said Chen Hua, assistant general manager of CNNC.
Qinshan nuclear power plant, situated not far from Shanghai, started operation in December 1991.
The operationalisation of the new units formally kicks off the resumption of work of new nuclear power plants which was halted after Fukushima nuclear disaster last year.
According to the National Energy Administration, China has 15 nuclear reactors in operation with 26 more reactors under construction.