China Guodian Corp., one of the nation's five leading power producers, has launched its first nuclear project in East China's Fujian Province. Several 1,000-megawatt generating units are planned for the plant. Third-generation nuclear power technology AP1000 from Westinghouse will be used. China has chosen the AP1000 technology for the country's four nuclear power reactors, two in Sanmen in Zhejiang and two in Haiyang in Shandong.

Sinopec, one of China's leading oil producers, announced it would import more refined oil from abroad while trying hard to increase production so as to ease the shortage at home. The company plans to import 500,000 tons of diesel oil in January 2008. In November it bought 287,000 tons of diesel from abroad, and the figure will rise to 423,000 tons for December.

The China Electricity Council (CEC), an organization representing the country's power industry, has recently submitted a proposal to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) to raise electricity prices next year. The proposal said major coal enterprises in coal-rich provinces have issued a notice that new contracts for electricity coal in 2008 will include a price rise of more than 30 yuan (4.05 US dollars) a ton. This would result in a sharp increase in electricity costs.