China has begun to equip its nuclear-power stations with improved second-generation reactors based on its own designs, the country's Nuclear Energy Association said yesterday.

Four nuclear power stations, including the Ling'ao and Ningde, will have new reactors installed.

The expansion work for the Ling'ao nuclear power plant in southern China's Guangdong Province will include the installation of two home-manufactured pressurized water reactors, each with a capacity to generate a million kilowatts. They are expected to come into use between 2010 and 2011, Xinhua news agency reported.

The second-phase construction for the Qinshan nuclear power station in eastern China's Zhejiang Province will introduce two 650,000-kilowatt reactors, which are also scheduled to be put into use in late 2010 or early 2011.

The Hongyan River nuclear plant in northern China's Liaoning Province has launched construction on the first two generators. Four generators are planned to be operational between 2012 and 2014.

The plant in Ningde City, in eastern China's Fujian Province, plans to build six million-kilowatt power generators. The first phase of construction on four generators based on China's CPR 1000 technology started on February 18 and its first generator is planned to be in service in 2012.

China will exceed its target of adding 40 gigawatts of nuclear-power capacity by 2020, and will boost uranium imports to supplement domestic reserves.

The country will increase its nuclear-power capacity to at least 60 gigawatts by the end of the next decade.

China is turning to alternative energy sources like nuclear power to cut its reliance on polluting coal, which generates almost 80 percent of the nation's electricity.

The nation has made great progress on its research and development into nuclear power. China's first fast reactor is expected to serve the state grid in June 2010.

(Shanghai Daily June 18, 2008)