China plans three Westinghouse nuclear plants -paper

BEIJING Feb 9 (Reuters) - China has finished initial design work on its first three inland nuclear power plants, all of which will use technology developed by Westinghouse, a unit of Japan's Toshiba (6502.T), China Daily newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The paper quoted Wang Binghua, chairman of China's State Nuclear Technology Corp (SNPTC), as saying the three projects, using Westinghouse's third-generation AP1000 technology, will meet all requirements for construction to start this year.

The projects are at Taohuajiang in Hunan province, Xianning in Hubei province, and Pengze in Jiangxi province, the paper said.

All of China's existing nuclear projects are on the coast. Future inland projects will also use AP1000 technology, SNPTC said.

Westinghouse and U.S. engineering firm Shaw Group Inc (SHAW.N) are already building four AP1000 reactors at two sites in Shandong and Zhejiang provinces.

Westinghouse is competing with France's Areva CEPFi.PA, Russia's Rosatom and Chinese technology for market share in China, which is planning a massive nuclear build as part of a push to wean itself off coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel.

Two third-generation reactors designed by Areva are being built in southeast China's Guangdong province.

For a FACTBOX on China's nuclear power plants and plans, please click on [ID:nTOE61803U] (Reporting by Tom Miles; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)