China National Nuclear Corporation

China National Nuclear Corporation
Native name
 中国核工业集团公司
State-owned
Industry Nuclear technology
Predecessor Ministry of Nuclear Industry
Founded 1955[1]
Headquarters Beijing, China
Key people
 Sun Qin (President)[2]
Products Nuclear weapons, nuclear power generation
Number of employees
 100,000[3]
Subsidiaries China Nuclear International Uranium Corporation
Website www.cnnc.com.cn

The China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC; Chinese: 中国核工业集团公司; pinyin: Zhōngguó Hé Gōngyè Jítuán Gōngsī) is a state-owned entity founded in 1955 in Beijing.[1][4][5] CNNC's president and vice-president are appointed by the Premier of the State Council. However the CNNC is a self-supporting economic corporation, not a government administrative body. It oversees all aspects of China's civilian and military nuclear programs. According to its own mission statement, it "is a main part of the national nuclear technology industry and a leading element of national strategic nuclear forces and nuclear energy development."[6] CNNC is a nationwide industrial conglomerate integrating science, technology, industry, and international trade.

History

The Ministry of Nuclear Industry built China's first atom bomb, hydrogen bomb and nuclear submarine. It functioned as a government bureau for the national nuclear industry and reported directly to the State Council. It oversaw China's nuclear-related corporations, manufacturers, institutions, research institutes, and plants, including those related to nuclear weapons. It was responsible for the design and operation of nuclear power plants; nuclear fuel production and supply, including the processing of natural uranium, uranium conversion and enrichment, fuel assembly fabrication, spent fuel reprocessing, and nuclear waste disposal.

In 1988 the Ministry of Nuclear Industry was re-organised and became the CNNC. The corporatization was partly carried out to gain funds from outside of the government via exports.[7]

In the mid 1990s, CNNC had 300,000 employees and managed 200 organisations.[7]

Kang Rixin, a senior general manager is currently being investigated (as of August 10, 2009) for $260 million that was earmarked for the construction of three nuclear plants and allegedly used the funds for the stock market sustaining heavy losses. He is also accused of accepting bribes from a foreign company that intended to build nuclear power stations in China.[8][9]

As of 2014 CNNC has 100,000 employees and 110 subsidiaries. It has 4 nuclear power plants with 9 reactors in operation with a generation capacity of 6.5 GWe, with a further 12 reactors under construction.[1]

In June 2015, CNNC announced it would aim to raise 13.19 billion Chinese yuan in an initial public offering, that if successful, would be the largest in China in almost four years previously.[10]

In September, CNNC announced a project with the UK's National Nuclear Laboratory to create the Joint Research and Innovation Centre. The centre will investigate aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle. The UK and China will jointly fund the project over five years at the cost of £50 million.[11]

As of 2017, CNNC was developing a 400 MWth heat-only reactor for district heating.[12]

In 2018, CNNC took over nuclear power plant builder China Nuclear Engineering & Construction Corp.[13]

Reactor designs

Pressurized water reactors

The CNP-300 pressurized water reactor was the first reactor design developed domestically in China. The first unit began operation at Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant in 1991. A larger version of the reactor, the CNP-600, was installed at Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant, with two units operational from 2015 and 2016, respectively. A three loop, 1000-MW version of the CNP reactor, the CNP-1000, was under development since the 1990s, but the effort has since shifted towards the development of the more advanced generation-III ACP-1000.[14]

Since 2011 CNNC has been progressively merging its ACP-1000 nuclear power station design[15] with the China General Nuclear Power Group (CGNPG) ACPR-1000 design, while allowing some differences, under direction of the Chinese nuclear regulator. Both are three-loop designs originally based on the same French design, but now have different nuclear cores.[16] The first two ACP1000 units will be built at Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant.[15] In early 2014 it was announced that the merged design was moving from preliminary design to detailed design. Power output will be 1150 MWe, with a 60-year design life, and would use a combination of passive and active safety systems with a double containment. Initially the merged design was to be called the ACC-1000,[17][18][19] but ultimately it was named Hualong One. In August 2014 the Chinese nuclear regulator review panel classified the design as a Generation III reactor design, with independently owned intellectual property rights.[20][21] The first units to be constructed will be Fuqing 5 and 6, Fangjiashan 3 and 4, and a build has been proposed in Argentina.[22][23][24]

Advanced CANDU reactor

In September 2016 it was announced that SNC-Lavalin has signed an agreement in principle with CNNC and the Shanghai Electric Group to design, market and build the advanced CANDU reactor. Its ability to use reprocessed uranium will reduce China's stock of spent nuclear fuel.[25]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 CNNC (27 January 2014). "CNNC: The Main Force of Nuclear Power Development in China". UK Trade & Industry (Market Briefing). pp. 64–98. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  2. ↑ "Managements". Official website of CNNC. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  3. ↑ "About us". China National Nuclear Corporation.
  4. ↑ http://www-pub.iaea.org/mtcd/meetings/PDFplus/2009/cn175/URAM2009/Session%201/8_33_Cong_China.pdf
  5. ↑ http://www.aben.com.br/Arquivos/364/364.pdf
  6. ↑ http://en.cnnc.com.cn/2016-02/01/c_49164.htm
  7. 1 2 "China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC)". Nuclear Threat Initiative. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  8. ↑ BBC News - Beijing airport ex-head executed
  9. ↑ China’s Rapid Reactor Expansion Raises Concerns KEITH BRADSHER, Published: December 15, 2009
  10. ↑ https://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/01/us-china-national-nuclear-ipo-idUSKBN0OH13B20150601, China National Nuclear aims to raise $2.13 billion in largest IPO since 2011, Reuters, 31 May 2015
  11. ↑ "UK-China Joint Research and Innovation Centre". National Nuclear Laboratory. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  12. ↑ "China looks to nuclear option to ease winter heating woes". Reuters. 2017-12-10. Retrieved 2017-12-15.
  13. ↑ "More consolidation for China's nuclear industry". Nuclear Engineering International. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  14. ↑ "Chinese reactor design evolution - Nuclear Engineering International". www.neimagazine.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  15. 1 2 Wang Yanjun; et al. (22 May 2013). "I&C application status in NPPs in China" (PDF). China Nuclear Power Engineering Co. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  16. ↑ "Nuclear Power in China". World Nuclear Association. 24 September 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
  17. ↑ "CGN Chairman He Yu Makes Proposal for Promoting Export of China-designed Nuclear Power Technology ACC1000". CGN. 6 March 2014. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  18. ↑ "Nuclear Power in China". World Nuclear Association. April 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  19. ↑ Caroline Peachey (22 May 2014). "Chinese reactor design evolution". Nuclear Engineering International. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  20. ↑ "China's new nuclear baby". World Nuclear News. 2 September 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  21. ↑ "Independent Gen-III Hualong-1 reactor technology passes national review". CGN. 22 August 2014. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  22. ↑ "Hualong One deployment at Fuqing 5". World Nuclear News. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  23. ↑ "Hualong One selected for Argentina". World Nuclear News. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  24. ↑ Charlie Zhu and David Stanway (6 March 2015). "'Made in China' nuclear reactors a tough sell in global market". Reuters. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  25. ↑ Marotte, Bertrand (2016-09-22). "SNC-Lavalin strikes deal to build nuclear reactors in China". The Globe and Mail.

Further reading

  • The Impact of Government Restructuring on Chinese Nuclear Arms Control and Nonproliferation Policymaking, Wen L. Hsu, The Nonproliferation Review, Fall 1999, p. 155.
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