Westinghouse Electric Company''s AP 1000 is believed to be safe, cost efficient and advanced compared with the 1970s vintage reactors that China uses.

The deal with Westinghouse, in which the technology transfers includes design of equipment and nuclear facilities as well as technical support, will be completed in May, and the first of the four reactors will begin to generate power by 2013.

China is looking to fuel its nuclear power industry with largely self-developed technology by 2020 as it gradually reduces its reliance on imported technology. China''s first self-developed pressurised water reactor is expected to be put to use by 2017.

This will be achieved based on the absorption and development of the Westinghouse technology. By 2020, China would rely on its own technology. China is trying to reduce its reliance on coal-fired, polluting plants by increasing its nuclear power generation capacity to 40 gigawatt by 2020, about five times the installed capacity in 2005.

Towards this end, last week, China announced its plans to build a strategic reserve of natural uranium. Its current uranium ore supply could meet its demands by 2020.

In 2006 China''s nine operating nuclear power units generated 54.8 billion KWH of electricity approximating 1.9 per cent of its total power generation.

Sun said China''s current operating nuclear power units have a total installed capacity of 6.99 million kilowatts, and the country will have 11 units in operation by the end of 2007, with total capacity of 9.11 million kilowatts.

China plans to increase its nuclear power capacity to 40 million kilowatts by 2020, to account for four per cent of the country''s total electric power, according to the country''s medium and long-term development plan for nuclear power building.

China built its first nuclear power plant in east coastal Zhejiang province in 1991.