US, China to bid for overseas nuclear projects

The United States is committed to working with China on the development of new nuclear reactors in both countries and will encourage joint bids for projects elsewhere, U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said in Beijing on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

Moniz said the U.S.-based Westinghouse, one of the world's leading nuclear firms, was prepared to bid for reactor tenders in Britain with the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and the State Nuclear Power Technology Company (SNPTC).

Despite scaling back its plans in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan, China still aims to raise its total nuclear capacity to 58 GW by 2020, up from just 12.6 GW now, and foreign reactor builders like Westinghouse and France's AREVA SA have been competing fiercely for new projects.

CNNC's major rival, China General Nuclear Power (CGN), made the first move earlier this month, teaming up with France's EDF in a 16-billion pound ($25.69 billion) deal to construct two third-generation European Pressurized Reactors (EPRs) in southwest England.

Two EPRs, designed by AREVA, are currently being constructed by CGN in southeast China's Guangdong province.

Westinghouse, owned by Japan's Toshiba, is working on the design and construction of its third-generation AP1000 reactor with SNPTC, with the world's first ever unit due to go into operation in China by the end of this year. The AP1000 serves as the model for China's own homegrown CAP1400 design following a 2006 technology transfer agreement.

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