The mainland's newest and largest nuclear reactors are set to join the national power grid in early January after more than a year's delay.
Construction of two of the four reactors at the Tianwan Nuclear Power Station, near Lianyungang in Jiangsu province, is complete, while radioactive fuel rods have been loaded into one in preparation for connection on January 9 to the national power grid.
'Realistically speaking, we will begin full commercial operation in the second half of next year and the second reactor will be fully operational within one year,' the plant's chief engineer Ma Yi said.
Construction first began in 1997 and it was originally scheduled to go into operation this time last year. The delay was due in part to 'money problems', Mr Ma said.
The 3.2 billion yuan two-reactor project was initially to be 50 per cent owned by China National Nuclear Corp (CNNC) with most of the rest held by the Jiangsu provincial government.
CNNC, previously a division of the Ministry of Energy, would retain its share but only 20 per cent of the project would be held by the province while 30 per cent would go to central government-controlled China Power Investment Group, plant spokesman Gao Chuanbin said.
