China opens nuclear research centre

Beijing: China today opened anew research and development centre in its eastern Shandong Province, aimed at solving technical challenges in domestic nuclear projects.

The centre was jointly built in the coastal city of Yantai by three of China's state-owned nuclear power companies -- China General Nuclear Power Corporation, China National Nuclear Corporation and State Power Investment Corporation -- and privately-owned Yantai Taihai Group.

Ten research institutes established by the centre will focus on a variety of areas, including utilisation of nuclear power, radiation protection, energy storage and nuclear-waste treatment, said Shu Guogang, the centre's director.

The research will address the technical problems of mass production in China's third-generation domestic nuclear power projects, such as the?Hualong One reactors, Shu said.

China ranks third in the world for its output of nuclear- generated electricity, with key equipment for the country's third-generation nuclear power projects domestically manufactured, according to Zhang Huazhu, head of the China Nuclear Energy Association.

China currently has 23?nuclear?power generating units in operation and 27 under construction, about one third of the world's unfinished?nuclear?units.

The construction of new?plants?resumed after the Chinese government -- which had put the brakes on?nuclear?power plant approvals after the Fukushima accident in Japan in 2011 -- permitted it after a safety review.