(MENAFN) Huaneng Shandong Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Co, part of China Huaneng Group (HSNPC), one of the country's biggest state-owned utilities, started building a new nuclear power plant in the eastern coastal city of Rongcheng, AP reported.
The move comes after the central government lifted a construction ban on the industry to review safety following Japan's Fukushima disaster.
The company said it will incorporate Chinese-developed safety features and is due to start operations by the end of 2017.
Nuclear power is a key element for the government's efforts to curb surging demand for fossil fuels, for which China is the world's largest consumer.
Beijing imposed a moratorium on building new nuclear power plants to carry out safety reviews following Japan's 2011 earthquake and tsunami that wrecked the Fukushima plant, the world's worst nuclear disaster since the 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe.
The government said in October it would resume approving new nuclear power plants but said only a few would be allowed. It said the highest safety standards would be required and facilities would be allowed only in coastal areas.
The nuclear facility in Rongcheng will have a generating capacity of 200 megawatts, according to official news agency Xinhua.
China has 15 operational nuclear reactors, generating 12.5 gigawatts, according to the October report on development plans.
The report added that another 26 reactors are under construction and will add 30 gigawatts.
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