China to build 20 floating reactors

China plans to build about 20 floating nuclear platforms to meet the demand for maritime energy needs, driving a market that could be worth tens of billions of dollars, a new analysis report says.

Final assembly is about to start on the nation's first floating nuclear plant in Huludao, a coastal city in Liaoning province, reports eworldship, a Shanghai-based maritime industry information provider.

Bohai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry Co Ltd, a unit of China Shipbuilding Industry Corp, will build the facility, it says.

The corporation "is the first company to receive permission to construct the floating nuclear-powered vessel, and it aims to become the strongest builder of floating nuclear platforms within five years", the report quotes Wu Zhong, general manager of CSIC Asset Management Co Ltd, as saying.

Zhu Hanchao, a senior engineer at the corporation, says the average cost of a pilot project is about 3 billion yuan ($461 million; 410 million euros), but it can generate sales of 22.6 billion yuan in 40 years, the lifespan of the vessel. He says costs could be reduced when mass production of such platforms is realized.

At the end of last year, the National Development and Reform Commission, the top economic regulator, gave the shipbuilder the nod to start research on a demonstration project for the platform.

China General Nuclear Power Group this year signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the shipbuilder to develop a reactor design for an offshore nuclear power platform.

CGN is working on preliminary designs for the 200-megawatt ACPR50S, which is expected to start construction in 2017 and be commissioned by 2020.

The company says floating nuclear power plants can be used to supply stable electricity to remote areas as well as large industrial facilities, such as seawater desalination plants and offshore oilfield exploration rigs.

"The project has a wide range of civilian applications in providing safe and stable energy for maritime resources exploration and development," according to a statement from CGN.

Wu says the offshore oil drilling demand will continue to grow in the next five years, eventually reaching a market value of 100 billion yuan, while the nuclear-powered equipment industry is expected to reach 50 billion yuan a year in Bohai Bay.

Contact the writers through lvchang@chinadaily.com.cn

Safety measures in five-year plan

China has for the first time set major targets to improve its nuclear energy security and capacity to control radiation sources in the 13th Five-Year Plan, the government's blueprint for development between 2016 and 2020.

The country has 30 nuclear reactors in operation and another 26 under construction.

"The total number of reactors exceeds that of Japan, which has 54," says Tang Bo, head of nuclear energy security supervision for the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

He adds that if the new projects start as scheduled, China could have more nuclear reactors than France, putting it second only to the United States.

Last year, six nuclear reactors went online, and the authorities have given permits for the construction of eight more as well as approved locations for another two, the ministry says.

It says about 60,000 companies are now utilizing 120,000 radiation sources, mainly for medical diagnosis and treatment as well as industrial production.

To ensure the security of radiation sources and nuclear reactors, the targets set out in the plan require the authorities to maintain effective control of nuclear security, and lower the risks involved, to ensure facilities reach the advanced international level.

China Daily

(China Daily Africa Weekly 04/29/2016 page28)