The Qingshan III station is a key project of the nation, as well as the biggest trade cooperation project between China and Canada. The CANDU reactor, with two 728MW-capacity generation units imported from Canada, is designed with an expected life span of 40 years. It only takes 53 months to complete the No 1 generation set and put it into operation, being the shortest construction period in China.

Through the Qinshan III station China has set up five complete systems regarding agreement negotiation, construction, testing, operation and nuclear fuel manufacture, as well as fostered a professional team who is familiar with international management, nuclear power technology and project administration.

Besides, the No 2 generation set is under adjustment and expected to put into operation in next August. The two sets, after put into full commercial operation, will generate nearly 10 billion kw/h electricity each year to effectively ease the power shortage of eastern China areas.

Although Qinshan is the fifth nuclear power station in China, the latest phase serves as an alternative to pressurized water reactors that are used in all other nuclear power stations.

There are three nuclear power stations in Qinshan, 125 kilometers (78 miles) south of Shanghai. With the others in South China's Guangdong Province, China hopes the plants will help satisfy the electricity demand of the booming coastal regions.

The project will greatly ease the electricity shortage of the East China Power Grid, which covers Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui provinces and Shanghai.

The electricity demand of the area is expected to increase by 1 million kilowatts annually over the next three years. Even with the operation of the third phase, electricity will still need to be bought from elsewhere, like the Three Gorges Dam.

(People's Daily November 20, 2002)