(Photo : A small nuclear reactor used for research)

China's major power generating equipment maker Dongfang Electrical Machinery Co. Ltd (DFEM) announced that it has completed construction of what can be considered as the world's biggest nuclear generator in terms of per-unit installed capacity.

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The nuclear generator has an installed capacity of 1,750 megawatts and will be used at the Taishan nuclear power plant in Guangdong Province. DFEM has been commissioned to construct two nuclear generators for the power plant that is a joint venture of Electricite de France and China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Co ( CGNPC), the country's top nuclear power station builder.

The Taishan nuclear power project, according to CGNPC, will add about 26 billion kilowatt hour of electricity to the national grid annually when it starts operation next year. Another 30 nuclear power-generating units are being constructed in China.

Second Generator Coming

DFEM said it has started transporting the nuclear generator to Sichuan as it begins construction of the second reactor with similar capacity, still for the same nuclear power plant.

According to the World Nuclear Assocation, mainland China now operates 17 nuclear power reactors and more will be built to meet the growing energy demands of the country. The country, it said, also aims to reach 400 Gwe of nuclear capacity by 2050.

In June, Wang Min, Secretary General of China Atomic Energy Authority, announced that nuclear power will continue to hold an important position in the country's future energy development.

Wang, who spoke at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria, said China will continue to adhere to the development of nuclear power to meet the demands of sustainable energy supply.

Radioactive Leaking

As this developed, the Chinese government announced on Sunday that the radioactive water leaking from Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant has not reached the Chinese waters as of yet.

But China said it will continue to monitor the extent of the leaking to safeguard China's maritime rights. Based on latest monitoring, the water areas contaminated by radioactive leaking have expanded but have not reached the Chinese waters yet.