China to pioneer new nuclear reactor technology

BEIJING (AFX) - China plans to develop the world's first commercially operated
"pebble bed" nuclear reactor, the Financial Times reported.

A Chinese energy consortium chose the city of Weihai in Shandong's northeastern
coast to build a 195MW gas-cooled power plant. An official representing the
consortium, led by Huaneng Power International Inc, one of China's largest power
producers, told the paper the proposed reactor could start producing electricity
within five years.

The Chinese consortium, which includes Huaneng, Tsinghua and China Nuclear
Engineering and Construction (CNEC), is preparing to apply for government
approval, the paper said.

Huaneng plans to assume a 50 pct stake in the joint venture that will build the
plant. CNEC would own 35 pct and Tsinghua 5 pct. The remaining 10 pct may be
offered to other investors, according to the paper.

The pebble bed reactor would put China in the forefront of a technology that
researchers claim offers a new "meltdown-proof" alternative to water-cooled
nuclear power stations, the paper said.

Supporters say the technology is safe from nuclear proliferation due to the
expense and difficulty of processing the spent fuel, the paper said.

Advocates of "modular" pebble bed reactors argue they offer cheap, safe and
easily expandable nuclear power stations. This appeals to China, which is
struggling to meet huge growth in energy demand while avoiding environmental
disaster, the paper said.

According to the report, the Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology at
Beijing's Tsinghua University operates the world's only test pebble bed reactor
outside Beijing and is providing the technology for the planned power station.

nuclear is the energy of the future