Construction began Thursday on phase two project of the Ling'ao Nuclear Power Plant at Daya Bay in south China's Guangdong province.

Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, sent an instruction to the ground breaking ceremony, saying it marks another major step towards designing, building and operating of nuclear plant by the country on its own.

By 2020, the generating capacity of the country's nuclear plants will total 40 million kilowatts, Wu said. Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan attended the ceremony held at the bay.

Using improved second-generation technology, the project is the third commercial nuclear power plant built by China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Co in the province, which has constructed the Dayabai Nuclear Power Plant and the first phase of Ling'ao Nuclear Power Plant.

The Ling'ao Nuclear Power Plant in Shenzhen, an economic boomtown bordering Hong Kong, is designed to produce four million kilowatts of electricity.

Construction of the first phase began on May 15, 1997 and its two generators have a designed life span of 40 years.

Source: Xinhua