On the morning of June 6, 2005, General Manager Kang Rixin of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) held a briefing for domestic and foreign journalists to elaborate on the development status of China's nuclear power and the exchanges and cooperation with international counterparts at the invitation of International Press Center (IPC). Deputy Director-General Liu Jianchao of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China hosted the briefing.

Kang Rixin first gave them a brief introduction to CNNC. He said that CNNC is a large state-owned enterprise under the direct supervision of the State Council and was established on the basis of former China Nuclear Industry Company in July 1999. At present, CNNC has become the main force of developing the nuclear power in China and is playing an increasingly important role in developing the national economy of China. CNNC has an integrated industrial system covering nuclear science and technology, including uranium geology, uranium mining and metallurgy, nuclear power, nuclear fuel, spent fuel reprocessing, basic research of nuclear science, design and research, nuclear instrument and equipment manufacturing, and the development of civilian nuclear technologies for non-fuel use. Nuclear power, nuclear fuels and the industrialization of nuclear technology applications constitute the three pillars of CNNC. CNNC oversees more than 100 industrial enterprises, research and design institutes, and other related entities. CNNC has more than 50,000 engineers and technicians, among whom over 8,000 are senior experts, 12 are academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and 8 are academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Talking of the development status quo of China's nuclear power, Kang Rixin said that China's nuclear power started to develop in the 1980s. Through over two decades of growth, there are 19 nuclear generating units that have been completed or are still under construction with the total generating capacity of 16 million kilowatts. The power output of 9 completed nuclear generating units accounted for 2.3% of the total power output of China. The nuclear power output in Zhejiang and Guangdong accounted for 13% of the total power output of these two provinces, equivalent to the world average. The nuclear power has played an important role in easing the shortage of power supplies, optimizing the energy structure and improving the environment of the region. With a history of safe operation for nearly 50 reactor-years, China's nuclear power plants have been running safely and smoothly all along. Moreover, we have adopted many preventive measures in the fields of technology, equipment, management and safety culture, sufficient to ensure the safe and sustained operation of China's nuclear power plants.

Qinshan Nuclear Power Station (QNPS) contains one 300MWe pressurized water reactor (PWR), which was independently designed and built by CNNC. It started operation in December 1991, marking a breakthrough for China's nuclear power. It has been running safely for 15 years. CNNC holds 100% of the shares of QNPS. QNPS has been operating with load for 331, 443 and 448 straight days on end within the three fuel recycles respectively since 2002, setting the best record for the successive safe operation of nuclear power plants in China. Zou Jiahua, the then Vice Premier of the State Council, called it "the glory of China".

Qinshan Phase-2 Nuclear Power Station consists of two 650Mwe PWRs, which were independently designed, built and operated by CNNC. It has been completed in May 2004. The construction cost is 1330 US dollars/kw, a relatively low level compared with nuclear power plants that are completed recently or still under construction in the world. The localization rate is 55% and CNNC holds 55% of the total shares of Qinshan Phase-2. This project won the 1st Prize of China's National Scientific Progress Award, marking an important breakthrough for the localization of China's nuclear power.

Qinshan Phase-3 Nuclear Power Station consists of two 700 MWe Heavy Water Reactors (HWR), which were built by China and Canada together. CNNC holds 51% of the total shares of Qinshan Phase 3. Generating Unit 2 were completed and put into commercial operation on July 24, 2003, 112 days ahead of the schedule, setting the fastest record of building the HWR power plant in the world. Its early commercialization has greatly enhanced the management level of China on nuclear power project, and the saved cost and generated profits totaled RMB 4 billion. This project indicates that the management over the nuclear power project by China has reached the international level.

Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station and Ling'ao Nuclear Power Station consist of four million-kilowatt grade PWRs that were imported from France. CNNC holds 45% of the shares of these two power plants. Their construction and operation is very successful, with the operation indicators exceeding the median values of World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO).

Tianwan Nuclear Power Station imported two 1060 Mwe AES-91 PWRs from Russia, using four improved technologies, including a double wall containment with an inner pre-stressed concrete cylindrical shell, the reactor core catcher, 4-pipe safety system and all digital meter control. Tianwan Station is the most technologically advanced nuclear power station among the completed ones in China. CNNC holds 50% of its total shares. Generating Unit 1 is expected to be completed at the end of this year.

Kang Rixin said that from a zero breakthrough to major progress, from the import of complete sets to independent construction, from traditional management to up-to-international-standard management, from isolated development to foreign cooperation, China's nuclear power technologies have become more mature through over two decades of exploration, practice, imports, digestion and absorption. China has trained a strong team consisting of dedicated staffs in nuclear science and technologies, accumulated experience in independent design, building, operation and management of the nuclear power plants, and learnt the design techniques of one-million-kilowatt grade PWR during the cooperation with foreign partners. CNNC is now capable of building one-million-kilowatt grade PWR in the principle of "combining self-reliance with foreign partnership".

Talking of the development prospects of China's nuclear power, Kang Rixin said that the rapid development of China's economy and the grand goal of building a well-off society have imposed an enormous demand for energy and power. The energy shortage of China has further stimulated such demand. At present, the nuclear power output only accounts for 2% of the total power output of China. According to the plan of the Chinese government, the installed capacity of nuclear power plants is expected to reach 40 million kilowatts by 2020, making up 4% of the total installed capacity of China. In other words, China must start to build about 30 one-million-kilowatt grade nuclear power generating units from now. Therefore China has a large nuclear power market.

The Chinese government put forward the principle of "combining self-reliance with foreign partnership" to guide the development of China's nuclear power in the future. As the major player in China's nuclear power industry, CNNC has been following the principle of the government resolutely and carried out a large amount of effective work. On one hand, CNNC expanded the nuclear power plant by making full use of the existing basis. CNNC expanded two 600,000-kw generating units in Qinshan Phase-2 and two 1,000,000-kw generating units in Ling'ao Nuclear Power Station in Guangdong. The expansion project of Qinshan Phase-2 is planned to pour the first batch of concrete in March 2006. On the other hand, CNNC implemented the self-reliance project and imported the 3rd generation nuclear power technologies through international public bidding for the construction of two one-million-kilowatt-grade generating units for Zhejiang Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant and two for Guangdong Yangjiang Nuclear Power Plant. At present, the tender evaluation is in active progress.

Moreover, CNNC independently designed and improved the 2nd generation nuclear power stations by absorbing the merits of the 3rd generation technologies and strived to build up the nuclear power brands with our its IPRs. The designed life of CNP 1000 is 60 years. The refueling cycle is 18 months. The utilization rate of generating units is 87%. The construction cost will drop to less than 1300 US dollars/kw and on-grid tariff can be brought down to 5 US cents/kw once CNP 1000 is massively produced. The expert group assessed that the design of CNP 1000 is better than any other operating nuclear power plants in China whether in terms of performance, security or cost and that some indicators even surpass the international standards for the 2nd generation power plants. CNNC is optimizing the design of CNP 1000, compiling security analysis reports in the hope to pass the assessment of the National Nuclear Safety Administration at the earliest date possible.

Meanwhile, the initial work for the design of CNP 1500, which was organized by No. 2 Research Institute of CNNC, is coming to an end. In this way, China has built up a series of brands with its IPRs, such as CNP 300, CNP 600, CNP 1000/CNP 1500.

China has realized the localized manufacturing of a series of nuclear fuel components. The nuclear fuel components supplied for Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station in Guangdong are even better than the ones imported from France.

In the field of foreign cooperation, CNNC has carried out extensive international cooperation within the framework of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in an active and pragmatic manner. Up to now, the nuclear industry of China has established exchanges, cooperation and trade relations with more than 100 organizations in over 40 countries. The above-mentioned Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station, Ling'ao Nuclear Power Station, and Qinshan Phase-3 Nuclear Power Station are the important achievements of our cooperation with foreign companies in the field of nuclear power.

CNNC is doing R&D of fast reactor as a long-term consideration. 65MWt China Experimental Fast Reactor (CEFR) has entered the installation phase. Modular Prototype Fast Reactor (MPFR) of China is expected to complete by 2020. In the area of controlled nuclear fusion technologies, CNNC has utilized the completed China HL-2 to carry out front-end physical experiments and studies, and actively participated in the joint research of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project.

Kang Rixin also briefed the journalists on the operation model of CNNC. He said that CNNC is in a phase of accelerated development. The nuclear power industry is migrating from moderate growth to active growth. The nuclear industrial economy is moving from the stage of "trying to win projects" to a stage of "implementing projects, and striving to realize the sustained growth of the whole industry'. The structural adjustment is moving from closedown and bankruptcy of enterprises to the optimization of organizational structure and resources allocation. The corporate management is moving from "clarifying property rights" to modernized operation of a group corporation.

The management model of CNNC is characterized by "vertical management, classified authorization, horizontal collaboration, mutual supervision, and standardized, procedure and information-based operation". CNNC is no longer a conservative and isolated organization, but an open and vigorous enterprise that can operate according to the modern corporate system in the real sense. So we put forward a strategic goal to increase the revenue by 8 times, make breakthroughs in both technology and management, become the backbone for the development of China's nuclear power and build CNNC into a technologically advanced and managerially standardized super large group with outstanding profits and international competitiveness.

Kang Rixin said that during the development process of nuclear power, CNNC highly hopes to carry out pragmatic and meaningful cooperation with international counterparts and improve its ability to independently design and build nuclear power plants with the help of international friends.

Talking of the purpose of China's development of nuclear power, Kang Rixin said that it is decided by the economic development status and the energy status of China. First, China's energy is basically located in the north, but the developed areas of China are mainly located in the southeastern coastal region. If the resources are transported from the north to the south, there will be a huge burden for the transportation. Therefore, it is necessary to build a group of nuclear power plants in the southeastern coastal region. Secondly, nuclear power is a clean energy and it does not emit sulfur dioxide or carbon dioxide. So it is good for environmental protection. China has coal power, thermal power, and steam power and it is a necessity for China to actively develop nuclear power from the perspective of optimizing energy structure.

While talking about the safety of nuclear power stations, Kang Rixin said that nuclear power is a clean and safe energy. In terms of safety, we have adopted safety measures in accordance with related standards of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and internationally recognized provisions. Our nuclear power plants are built according to international standards. Experts from the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) and other concerned agencies checked and verified the construction of nuclear power plants in strict compliance with international specifications and standards. We hide nothing from the public and any of you can visit our nuclear power plants. The suggestions on our safety work are greatly appreciated. For many years, we have been trying to utilize various opportunities to introduce the technologies of nuclear power stations to the public on various occasions. At present, the public knows that nuclear power is safe. Therefore they all support the construction of nuclear power plants. As the general manager of CNNC, I once promised to the entire Chinese people and the people in the world that CNNC will construct qualified nuclear power plants that meet the requirements on safety and technologies.

Kang Rixin also answered the questions of journalists concerning the treatment of nuclear wastes as well as the exchanges and cooperation with international counterparts.