The first two generators at the Ling'ao Nuclear Power Plant in Shenzhen, south China 's Guangdong Province began commercial operations on Tuesday after passing a series of official tests.

Construction began on the Ling'ao Nuclear Plant in 1997 and it became part of the local power grid on February 26 this year. It is Guangdong's second largest nuclear power plant after one at Daya Bay, and was one of China's major power projects for the 1996-2000 period.

According to the design plan, four nuclear generators with a combined capacity of one million kw will be installed at the plant.The project's first phase has seen two nuclear generators installed at a cost of US$4 billion.

With the first pair of nuclear generators in operation, electricity generated will go into the grid for Guangdong Province,one of the country's economic powerhouses.

It is understood that the second pair of nuclear generators which are undergoing trials, will begin commercial operations by the end of the year.

At present, four nuclear power projects are being built in China. The other three are the second and third phases of the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant in east China's Zhejiang Province, andthe Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant, a Sino-Russian joint venture, at Lianyungang City on China's east coast.

(People's Daily May 28, 2002)