The Ling'ao Nuclear Power Plant in south China's Guangdong Province, where two generators are installed, has met the world's advanced level in terms of safe operation.

A spokesman with Guangdong Nuclear Power Group, which exercises administration over the nuclear plant at Ling'ao and another one on Daya Bay, said Ling'ao's No. 1 generating unit has resumed power generation after having successfully conducted a fuel refill as designed.

The No. 2 generating unit was also stopped as planned on Nov. 28 for fuel refill which will take about one month.

Ling'ao Nuclear Power Plant, situated inside Shenzhen, a boomtown facing Hong Kong across a river, is the second commercial nuclear power plant Guangdong Nuclear Power Group has constructed in Guangdong, one of China's economic powerhouses. The plant is equipped with two 990,000-kw generators.

The No. 1 generating unit began commercial operation in May last year, and the No. 2 generating unit started operation in September last year. The Ling'ao nuclear plant began full operation on Jan. 8 this year and sent 17.5 billion kw/h of electricity onto the local power grid from Jan. 8 to Nov. 28.

An executive with the Guangdong Nuclear Power Group said that they had been preparing for launching more new nuclear power facilities in a bid to meet the growing demand of the greater Pearl River Delta for more electricity in a faster economic growth.

According to him, installation of another two generating units based on pressurized water reactors at the Ling'ao plant, with an installed capacity of one million kw each, will be started within two years.

And preparatory work for construction of a nuclear power plant near Yangjiang, also in Guangdong Province, where six generators, each with an installed capacity of one million kw, will be erected, has been carried out in full scale, said the corporate executive.

There are now three nuclear power plants operating in China. Besides Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant and Ling'ao Nuclear Power Plant, there is Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant in east China's Zhejiang Province. Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant is being built in Lianyungang City of east China's Jiangsu Province. The four have a combined installed capacity up to 8.7 million kilowatts.

Editor: Wing