China exploring nuclear technology export opportunities

China is in initial discussions with several countries on possibilities of exporting its nuclear power equipments after exporting the technology to Pakistan and Argentina, said a senior official of the country’s top economic planner.

China has built 6 nuclear operating units in Pakistan with a total installed capacity of 3.4 million kilowatts, said Wang Xiaotao, vice minister of the National Development and Reform Commission at a press conference on Friday in Beijing.

Earlier this week, China signed a deal to export nuclear technology to Argentina, which includes a heavy-water model of nuclear reactor, a first for China, said Wang.

“It didn’t take long for us from introducing this technology to exporting it,” said Wang, adding it indicates China has progressed rapidly and reached global leading levels in many areas of high technology equipments. The heavy-water models were developed based on Canadian technology.

China will take security issues of all overseas nuclear projects very seriously and the country has adopted very stringent standards after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, he said.

The bilateral deal between China and Argentina was signed in Beijing on Wednesday by Nur Bekri, head of the National Energy Administration and Julio De Vido, Argentina's minister of Federal Planning, Public Investment and Services.

China National Nuclear Corp, the largest State-run atomic energy company, said on Thursday it will export its third-generation technology, the domestically developed ACP1000 pressurized-water nuclear model to Argentina under a bilateral agreement.

Fernandez said on Twitter that the Reactor IV and Reactor V, will require investments of $5.8 billion and $7 billion, respectively.

Reactor IV will import 30 percent of its components and parts. Reactor V will import 50 percent, she said.