Chinese firms form nuclear project partnership

The agreement covers: the planning of power and nuclear power projects in China; optimisation of the design of nuclear power plants; cooperation in the international market; research, development and manufacturing of nuclear power equipment and related equipment; engineering construction of nuclear power and renewable energy projects; capital; technology consulting; and, human resources.

CEEC said the agreement would sigifcantly enhance its ability to develop and further explore new markets.

CNNC controls most of China's nuclear sector business including R&D, engineering design, uranium exploration and mining, enrichment, fuel fabrication, reprocessing and waste disposal. It says it is the major investor in all nuclear plants in China. Established by the State Council in 1988 as a self-supporting economic entity, it "combines military production with civilian production, taking the nuclear industry as the basis while developing nuclear power and promoting a diversified economy." CNNC designed and built Qinshan Phases I and II, and controls the entire Qinshan power plant.

CEEC is a subsidiary of advanced energy engineering conglomerate China Energy Engineering Group (Energy China). Energy China was founded in September 2011 and is directed by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, with a registered capital of RMB26 billion (USD3.7 billion). CEEC was established in December 2014 by Energy China and Electric Power Planning & Engineering Institute Co.

Energy China, which has participated in the survey, design and construction of the conventional and nuclear islands of more than 40 nuclear power units, says it "occupies 90% of the design and consultation market share of nuclear power plant conventional islands and 60% of the construction market share in China's commercial nuclear power sector". This includes the CPR1000, EPR, AP1000, Hualong One, CAP1400 and the fourth-generation Fast Reactor designs.