Expansion of China's first home designed and built nuclear power
station got underway on Friday.
A ceremony was held in Haiyan County of east China's Zhejiang
Province to mark Qinshan Nuclear Power Station’s second phase
success in passing state technical assessments and the commencement
of the expansion project.
Top Chinese leaders, including Wu
Bangguo, Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing
Committee, Premier Wen
Jiabao and Vice-President Zeng
Qinghong, sent letters of congratulation.
The key to China's nuclear power development lay in raising its
innovative capabilities and the training of high-tech management
personnel, Wu said in his letter.
Wen Jiabao called on station staff to use their experience and
redouble efforts to make a further contribution to China's nuclear
power development.
Zeng Qinghong congratulated those involved?on utilizing
innovation in construction.
Addressing Friday's ceremony, Vice-Premier Zeng
Peiyan, said China would continue to develop its
second-generation nuclear power stations and promote construction
of the next generation of plants. The country would gradually
increase the level of nuclear power entering the electricity
supply.
?
China plans to increase its nuclear power generating capacity to
40 million kw by 2020 with the aim of it accounting for 4 percent
of the country's total installed capacity at that time. Currently
less than 2 percent of electric power comes from nuclear
facilities.
"Safety and quality should be placed above all in nuclear power
station construction and operation," Zeng said. He urged those
involved in the industry to build the strictest nuclear power
safety systems in the world.
(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2006)
