Hainan Province in south China is resolved to develop nuclear power in addition to hydropower, wind power and thermal power derived from gas and clean coal in the years to come.

Nuclear power plants will help solve the power demand crisis in this island province, according to a document entitled "Hainan Power Grid Development Plan for the 11th Five-Year-Plan Period (2006-2010) and Long-Term Development Prospects and Goals for the year 2020".

According to the development document, Hainan, the largest special economic zone in China, will see a huge rise in power demand in the next few years.

It is expected that the demand for electric power in the province will grow at an average annual rate of 15 percent from 2006 to 2010. It is estimated that 17.5 billion kw/hours of power will be required in 2010. The local power grid's maximum load will rise to 26 billion kw/hours the same year.

An official with Hainan Provincial Development and Reform Bureau underscored the urgency of nuclear power development by saying it was imperative for Hainan to build nuclear power plants in the long run.

"In the early years of the province, Hainan considered developing nuclear power, but was obliged to discontinue this work," said the official.

Hainan, which previously came under jurisdiction of Guangdong Province, became a province in its own right in April 1988. It has many natural advantages in terms of nuclear power development including having a shoreline of 1,528 km and 68 bays.

Source: Xinhua