Chinese nuclear giant continues to expand overseas cooperation

BEIJING - China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), one of the country's two leading nuclear power companies, is stepping up its overseas cooperation, the chairperson said Saturday.

Progress is being made in cooperation with CNNC's local partners in countries like Pakistan, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Ghana and the United States, CNNC chairperson Wang Shoujun said on the sidelines of the annual session of the country's top political advisory body.

In 2017, the CNNC completed the construction on the No 4 unit of the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant in Pakistan. The company also reached an agreement with its Pakistani partner to built another nuclear power unit at the Chashma plant using the Hualong One technology.

The total installed capacity of CNNC's nuclear projects in Pakistan has so far reached 4.63 million kilowatts while the installed capacity in operation has exceeded 1.3 million kW, said Wang, who is also a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

"These projects have effectively alleviated local power shortages and boosted the country's economic development," he said.

Contracts have been signed for nuclear projects in Argentina while the CNNC and its Saudi Arabian partner have agreed to push forward cooperation on uranium and thorium resources.

In Ghana, the CNNC has helped convert a local highly-enriched uranium nuclear reactor into a low-enriched one.

Last year, the CNNC signed a joint venture agreement with TerraPower, LLC to form the Global Innovation Nuclear Energy Technology Co Ltd to work together on the Travelling Wave Reactor technology, marking a new stage in China-US nuclear cooperation, Wang added.

The CPPCC started its annual session Saturday, with more than 2,100 political advisors gathering to discuss the country's major political, economic, and social issues.