China starts building new nuclear power plant

BEIJING – A Chinese state news agency said the country has begun building a new nuclear power plant after lifting a construction moratorium imposed following Japan’s Fukushima disaster.

The Xinhua News Agency said the 3 billion yuan ($475 million) power plant in Rongcheng, an eastern coastal city in Shandong province, will incorporate advanced safety features developed by Chinese researchers.

China is the world’s biggest energy consumer and nuclear power is a key element in official efforts to curb surging demand for fossil fuels.

Beijing suspended approval of new nuclear power plants to carry out safety reviews following the Japan’s 2011 earthquake and tsunami that wrecked the Fukushima plant. That moratorium was lifted in October.