[2016 Highlights] CGN’s clean energy installed capacity in operation increases 40 percent in 2016

China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) held its annual press conferences in Beijing and Shenzhen simultaneously and press release on the HPR1000 Generic Design Assessment (GDA) and FirmSys, the Nuclear Safety DCS Platform, Jan 12, attracting more than 60 media outlets.

CGN has kept a double-digit growth rate of the clean energy’s installed capacity in operation making 43.71 GW by the end of 2016, an increase of 40.2 percent year-on-year, said Huang Xiaofei, spokesperson for CGN.

It has maintained the leading role among central enterprises in terms of total assets and business performance and become a key profitmaking enterprise under the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC).

CGN also won both “A”s at the 2015’s and 2013-2015 period’s business performance evaluations released by the SASAC for the first time.

CGN’s overseas clean energy installed capacity reaches nearly 10 GW

CGN has made great achievements in implementing the “Go Global” strategy in 2016, a historic year for CGN and the Chinese nuclear industry in developing the international market.

For example, the UK government officially approved the launch of HPR1000 Generic Design Assessment (GDA) on Jan 10, which is a crucial step to internationalize HPR1000.

CGN signed agreements with Electricité de France (EDF) and the UK government on nuclear new build projects in the UK, Sept 29, 2016. Under these agreements, CGN takes shares in the Hinkely Point C (HPC) and Sizewell C (SZC) projects, and will lead on the Bradwell B (BRB) project in Essex as majority shareholder.

A memorandum of understanding on nuclear and renewable energy resources cooperation was inked between CGN and CEZ Group in March 2016, which defines the bilateral cooperation ranging from equipment purchase to talent cultivation in the field of nuclear energy and probes into collaboration on renewable energy resources such as wind and solar energy.

CGN held a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to complete the shareholding rights transfer affiliated to Edra Global Energy Bhd and 13 clean energy projects of five countries (Malaysia, Egypt, Bangladesh, UAE and Pakistan) along the Belt and Road route, in March, 2016. As a result, CGN gained more than 6 GW installed capacity ofclean energy.

So far, CGN owns nearly 10 GW installed capacity of clean energy overseas, making it the largest of its kind in China. It also promotes the gas-fired power projects in Malacca to explore the markets in Southeast Asia and other countries along the Belt and Road.

Five new nuclear power units in operation, hits domestic record

CGN created a record in domestic industry with five new units were put into commercial operation in 2016 which also marked completion of phase one projects of Fangchenggang Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), Ningde NPP and Hongyanhe NPP.

The five new units are units 1 and 2 of Guangxi Fangchenggang NPP, unit 3 of Yangjiang NPP, unit 4 of Ningde NPP and unit 4 of Hongyanhe NPP, said Huang Xiaofei.

The unit 4 of Fangchenggang NPP, started construction on Dec 23, 2016, was the first nuclear power unit of HPR1000 constructed during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2015-20). Besides, the unit 4 of Yangjiang NPP realized the first grid connection on Jan 8, 2017, as a benchmark project of CGN’s CPR1000.

CGN remains China’s largest and world's fifth-largest nuclear operator with 19 nuclear power units in operation and an installed capacity of 20.38 GW by the end of 2016.

Its total annual nuclear on-grid power generation was around 115.58 billion kWh in 2016, an increase of 30.8 percent compared with last year, which is equivalent to a reduction of coal consumption of 37 million tons and carbon dioxide emissions of 90 million tons, sulfur dioxide emissions of 880,000 tons. The emission reduction effect is corresponding to afforestation of 250,000 hectares.

FirmSys, a new name card for Chinese nuclear manufacturing

China Techenergy Co. Ltd (CTEC), a subsidiary of CGN received the independent engineering review report issued by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in July, 2016, signaling that FirmSys, China’s first nuclear safety DCS platform with proprietary intellectual property rights has passed the assessment of IAEA.

FirmSys will be applied in various fields such as eight gigawatt-level nuclear power units including the units 5&6 of Yangjaing NPP and units 5&6 of Hongyanhe NPP; and the Shidao Bay High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor Demonstration Project, said Sun Yongbin, deputy general manager of CTEC.

Sun added that the FirmSys has saved nearly three billion yuan ($436.8 million) for Chinese nuclear projects, making it a new name card for Chinese nuclear manufacturing.

CTEC also signed cooperative contracts with international enterprises such as British Rolls-Royce, Russian Rosatom and Korean Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction in 2016. The enterprise will focus on R&D of the FirmSys Gen-II to produce more secure and advanced DCS products and improve competiveness of Chinese nuclear equipment.

Total installed capacity of new energy hits 22.90 GW

Great achievements have been made at CGN’s new energy business in 2016 with the total installed capacity of new energy reached 22.90 GW. The installed capacity in operation of wind power exceeded 10 GW enabling CGN to become the fifth enterprise with over-10-GW capacity in China.

CGN also has made breakthroughs in new energy, for example, its Rudong Offshore Wind Farm went into operation and it won the bid for a floating wind power project, the France's first industrial-scale offshore floating renewable energy power project.

CGN owns its first A-share platform after asset restructuring

Dalian International has become CGN’s first A-share listed company in 2016, after the asset restructuring made by CGN Nuclear Technology Application Company, CGN’s subsidiary. Five years after establishment, CGN Nuclear Technology Application Company acts as a leading role in domestic electron accelerator, irradiation processing and high-tech materials, and its electron accelerator even enters international market.

CGN’s self-owned brand nuclear fuel assemblies were applied in Ling’ao Phase-II NPP on Feb 14, 2016, marking that CGN is capable of producing self-reliant nuclear fuel assemblies.

What’s more, CGN-Namibia Husab Uranium Mine’s production surpassed 100 million tons on April 15, 2016 and the mine will go into full operation in 2017. The uranium mine is the landmark project of the Sino-Africa cooperation and also a key program under the Belt and Road Initiatives.