Next Monday, three nuclear power heavyweights will submit proposals to design and build four plants in China, a national nuclear technology company said yesterday.

US-based Westinghouse, France's AREVA and Russia's AtomStroyExport (ASE) are busy finishing their plans for four reactors in Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces.

The Preparatory Office of the State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation told China Daily that a ceremony will be organized on Monday to accept finished bids from the three competitors.

"We will soon organize assessments," a preparatory office official said.

He did not reveal when the final decision would be announced on the contract for four 1,000-megawatt, pressurized-water nuclear power facilities. Two of them will be located in Sanmen, in eastern China's Zhejiang Province, and the other two in Yangjiang, in the southern province of Guangdong.

The preparatory office, which started work last September under the direct authority of the State Nuclear Power Self-reliance Leading Committee, is establishing the nuclear power corporation, organizing tenders, carrying out technology transfers and negotiating contracts for nuclear power projects.

The three competitors all boasted firm support from their own governments and are confident their bids will stand out.

Westinghouse, which has won no power plant contracts during its two-decade presence in China, stepped forward at the weekend with news that a combination of loans of up to US$5 billion have been approved by the US Export-Import Bank to help construct the project.

Liu Xingang, chief representative of Westinghouse China, said the promised loan will help meet the financial requirements required by the Chinese side, which has asked competitors to earmark capital for their proposals.

Liu said his confidence resulted from cutting-edge technology of their equipment and the government's deregulation of technology exports.

"The US Government has done a lot since last year to approve exports of the AP-1000 reactor to China," he said.

Arnaud de Bourayne, president of AREVA China, said preparatory work on bidding started five months ago, with great enthusiasm, to meet the bid objectives.

"We are ready to deliver our scheme," he said, but did not disclose information on financing efforts.

Russia's ASE did not comment but an earlier report cited company confidence based on the close relationship between Russia and China. It has already been involved in the construction of two nuclear power plants in China, which are expected to start operating this year.

China has drafted ambitious plans to expand nuclear power production in an effort to meet increased demand.

(China Daily February 23, 2005)