The nation's biggest nuclear reactor builder, China National Nuclear Corp, aims to increase orders from its overseas projects in Pakistan and other nations in Southeast Asia by establishing a new venture.

China Nuclear announced the establishment of the architectural engineering (AE) venture over the weekend in Beijing. The new firm, China Nuclear Engineering Co, will help streamline management and save costs.

"The move will also help the company win more orders in the overseas market, as China Nuclear Engineering is based on an international standard and will participate in bidding for overseas projects," said Li Xiaoming, president of the Beijing Institute of Nuclear Engineering (BINE).

Beijing-based China Nuclear, after securing two reactors with a capacity of 300 MW (megawatts) each in Pakistan, is negotiating with the Asian nation for a third unit with a capacity of 600 MW, Li disclosed.

"In technical terms, the (600-MW) project is ready to be built, but it is difficult to predict exactly when we can finalize it," Li added.

At the same time, China Nuclear, which built seven of China's 11 reactors either in operation or ready to come on line, is also in talks with other nations in Southeast Asia to build nuclear power plants, Li said.

"As the newly established China Nuclear Engineering grows, we will also participate in bidding for other projects in a wider range of foreign countries," Li said.

China Nuclear has completed a 300-MW nuclear power reactor in Pakistan, and is constructing another one of the same size, which is expected to generate electricity in about five years, an official with China Nuclear disclosed.

China Nuclear Engineering is built on the technology basis of BINE and is also responsible for the construction, equipment procurement, trial testing and operational maintenance of nuclear power plants.

Both China Nuclear Engineering and BINE are wholly owned subsidiaries of China Nuclear. BINE is responsible for the technological design of the operational Qinshan and Ling'ao nuclear power plants, and other nuclear projects in Liaoning, Shandong and Fujian that are still in the pipeline.

Future project design will be shifted to the new China Nuclear Engineering, and BINE will turn to China Nuclear's technology planning in a macro sense, Li said.

Previously, China Nuclear had to establish an individual engineering and construction team to build each nuclear power plant, which increased management and operational costs.

"With the integrated China Nuclear Engineering company, we could save costs by about 15 per cent from technology design to project construction," Li said.

China Nuclear Engineering is the second AE company established by China Nuclear, after the Beijing-based reactor builder set up another one in Shanghai last year.

"These AE companies also have a competitive edge over our rivals in the domestic market," Li said.

Currently only two companies China Nuclear and China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group are authorized to build nuclear plants in China.

Source: China Daily