China Suspends Implementation of French Nuclear Fuel Recycle Plant

China has suspended the preliminary work on the joint project with the French nuclear corporation Areva on a plant to reprocess spent nuclear fuel, local authorities said Wednesday.

BEIJING (Sputnik) — The authorities of the city of Lianyungang, which was set to be chosen as the site for the project, decided to suspend the choice of venue for the future plant.

The project, agreed by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and France’s Areva in 2012, is expected to be completed by 2030. The reports on Lianyungang's choice as the site for the project led to local protests during the weekend, to which government officially responded that the final choice on the location was yet to be made.

There are currently 30 energy units in China, with a total capacity of 28 gigawatts (GW), while another 24 power units are under construction.