China has released a plan for its first inland nuclear power plant in central China's Hunan Province.

China National Nuclear Corporation, in conjunction with China Three Gorges Project Corporation, China Resources Co. Ltd and Hunan Xiangtou Holdings Group Co. Ltd, inked an agreement Wednesday to operate the project under the umbrella of a new joint-venture, Hunan Taohua River Nuclear Power Co. Ltd.

With a planned installation capacity of four million kilowatts, the plant is to be built in Lishanhe Town in Taojiang County of Yiyang City. Once the first phase of the project is completed, half the plant's potential capacity will be useable.

The plant will join China's other two major nuclear sites at Daya Bay and Qinshan, with the distinction of being the country's first inland nuclear power plant.

According to the State Council's nuclear power development plan adopted in 2006, China will see its combined nuclear power rise to 40,000 megawatts by 2020. For such a staggering rise to come true, two 1,000-megawatt nuclear power plants would need to be built each year for the next 15 years.

The second phase at the Qinshan plant ended in the first half of 2006, bringing its full installation capacity of 600,000 kilowatts.

China currently possesses six nuclear power plants with 11 reactors, dotting its economically thriving east and southeast coasts.

More plants are already waiting to be built in the provinces of Fujian and Shandong.

(Xinhua News Agency February 16, 2007)