Eye on SCS, China expedites construction of floating nuke reactors

Move to provide stable power to offshore projects and promote exploration of oil and gas in the ocean: official

In this September 14, 2014 file picture, Chinese tourists take souvenir photos with the national flag as they visit Quanfu Island, one of the Paracel Islands of Sansha prefecture of Hainan province in the South China Sea. China is fast-tracking construction of floating nuke reactors in the SCS for providing stable power to offshore projects and for exploration of oil and gas in the ocean. The move can be seen as China further cementing its claim on the disputed waters.

With an eye on the South China Sea and offshore oil and gas exploration, China is stepping up construction of floating nuclear reactors.

A top Chinese official told the Science and Technology Daily that China will prioritise the development of a floating nuclear power platform in the coming five years, in an effort to provide stable power to offshore projects and promote exploration of oil and gas in the ocean, the People’s Daily online reported.

Wang Yiren, vice-director of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence, said that diesel generators were currently the main power source for China’s offshore operations, and the daily lives of residents on the Nansha and Xisha Islands. These are the Chinese names for the Spratly and Paracel islands in the South China Sea, which are at the heart of a maritime dispute among China, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.

In 2015 China’s National Development and Reform Commission — the country’s main planning organisation — had approved floating reactor project, steered by the China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN). CGN had then said that project ACPR50S could provide “electricity, heat and desalination” to islands and offshore energy exploration.

Can generate 60-MW of power

Mr. Wang highlighted that maritime nuclear power plants had already been standardised. Earlier media reports said that power unit was based on Small Modular Reactor (SMR) design, capable of generating 60-MW of electricity.

China would not be the first country to employ floating nuclear power plants, Mr. Wang said. He pointed out that in the 1960s, the United States had installed a nuclear reactor inside the hull of a freighter to supply power in the Panama Canal Zone. Since then both Russians and Americans have used ship mounted nuclear reactors to provide electrical power. He added that China was seeking help from the Russian to speed up the project.

China is rapidly developing its nuclear industry after drawing lessons from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. It has introduced a full range of nuclear emergency precautions, including the publication of anuclear safety white paper in January 2016, the website said.

Currently, China operates 36 nuclear power points, and another 21 are under construction.