CHINA LIKELY TO ASSIST VIETNAM'S PURSUIT OF NUCLEAR POWER

China help for Vietnam nuke power plant likely

By Xiao Wan (China Daily)

The Daya Bay nuclear power station operated by the China
Guangdong Nuclear Power Group Co. [Bloomberg News]

China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group (CGNPG), one of the two
main nuclear power plant operators in the country,
yesterday said it was in talks with Vietnam to help build
its first nuclear power project.

The company has signed a letter of intent with Vietnam's
main power company for the project, the Shenzhen-based
company said on its website, without giving details.

The project is to be located in Ninh Thuan, a southern
coastal province in Vietnam. It is designed to have two
1,000-mW reactors, said a CGNPG executive who declined to
be named.

The project is at an early stage now as it is still
awaiting the final approval of the Vietnamese government,
he said.

Vietnam, which has no nuclear power plants at present,
plans to build nuclear power projects with a total capacity
of 4,000 mW by 2021.

"Now we are competing with others, including companies from
Japan, for the construction of the project," said the
official.

"Besides the Vietnam project, we are also in talks with
other countries such as Belarus," he said.

CGNPG started building the Yangjiang nuclear power plant in
December. The plant is expected to generate 45 billion kWh
of electricity each year.

The 70-billion-yuan plant will have six 1,000-mW units. The
first unit will start operating in 2013. All the units will
be finished by 2017.

China began building three nuclear power plants, at
Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong, last November.

This year, it will start constructing four nuclear power
plants, Zhang Guobao, vice-Minister of the National
Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in an article
published in People's Daily. Of the four, two are in
Shandong, one in Zhejiang and the other in Guangdong.