China National Nuclear Corporation (CNCC) and China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) on 23 February signed contracts for the conversion and enrichment of natural uranium (the Natural Uranium Conversion and Enrichment Processing Service Contract) and for fuel supply (the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Plant Refuelling Fuel Assembly Supply Contract). CNNC said the signing of the contracts will "further strengthen the in-depth cooperation between the two parties in medium and long-term nuclear fuel supply, and effectively promote exchanges and cooperation between the two parties in related fields". CNNC added that the development had "far-reaching significance for promoting the sustained and stable development of China's nuclear fuel industry and consolidating the independent nuclear industry chain".
CNCC Chairman Yu Jianfeng congratulated CGN on its achievements in construction, operation and efficiency in 2020. He said the nuclear industry is a family and he hoped that CNCC and CGN “will give full play to their respective advantages in scientific research innovation, market development, and nuclear technology application, and cooperate more sincerely and closely to form a community of interests for mutual benefit and win-win results”. He added that the two companies “jointly promote the development of the industry, jointly explore the international market”.
CGN Secretary, Chairman and General Manager, Yang Changli, congratulated CNNC for its entry into the Fortune Global 500 and the success of the commercial operation of the first Hualong One reactor. He said CGN’s industrial development and progress are inseparable from the constant care and support of CNNC. “The cooperation between the two parties in fuel supply and nuclear power construction has a long history, a sound foundation and broad space. In the future, China General Nuclear Power is willing to join hands with China National Nuclear Corporation. We will further strengthen in-depth cooperation on the basis that we can optimise and improve together.”
The two former rival companies have been encouraged by the government to work together and are now jointly developing the Hualong (also known as HPR1000), which is a 1100MWe Generation III pressurised water reactor based on CGN's ACPR-1000 and CNNC’s ACP-1000 designs.