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Work to build a new reactor at Fuqing, China has been officially launched - three months ahead of schedule.ÌýConstruction at various stages is now ongoing for six units at the site.

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Dignitaries launch the next phase of the Fuqing power plant amid a sea of red, chosen for good luck (Image: CNNC)

A ceremony was held last week at which a range of dignitaries commended the speed at which developments are coming. Fuqing is to be a six-reactor plant, based on CPR-1000 pressurized water reactors, which can now be built almost completely from the Chinese supply chain.

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One unit is already under construction at the site, having started in November last year. Unit two officially joined it to the sound of a gun salute on 17 June. They should enter operation in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

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Preliminary permission was granted for the other four units in April by the National Development and Reform CommissionÌýwith ground being broken for units 3 and 4 early this month, and excavation for units 5 and 6 already about 30% complete. The overall 6000 MWe project is expected to cost 100 billion yuan ($14.7 billion).

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China National Nuclear Company (CNNC) said that preliminary design work for units 1 and 2 is complete and it is satisfied that construction and equipment design work meets the requirements for the project. Procurement of major components is running on schedule, with contracts for units 3 to 6 under development.

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The astonishing pace of nuclear development in China - Fuqing is just one of seven multiple reactor power plants currently being built - is part of a national plan to have 72 GWe of nuclear capacity by 2020.