China is likely to supply components to US nuclear power plants under construction as part of a bilateral co-operation agreement between the two countries, according to US energy secretary, Ernest Moniz.
The reactors in Georgia and South Carolina are the first US nuclear plants to be built since the accident at the Three Mile Island plant in 1979. But China’s massive nuclear power expansion in recent years – which at its height saw construction start on a new reactor every few months – means it has a supply chain capable of supporting international projects.
The US reactors use Westinghouse’s AP1000 design, as do four Chinese reactors under construction, allowing economies of scale in sourcing parts. Westinghouse, owned by Toshiba, transferred the AP1000 technology to China’s State Nuclear Power Technology Co in 2006.