Environment stewardship at nuclear sites in China
CGN Group is China's biggest domestic nuclear power operator, with more than 50% of the domestic market, and is the world's largest nuclear power construction company. In China, CGN operates nuclear plants at Daya Bay, Ling Ao, Hongyanhe and Ningde.
Great importance is attached to the protection of marine biodiversity surrounding nuclear power plants and various measures are undertaken to protect marine species and their habitats from project site selection, engineering construction and project operation.
This has resulted in actions that have benefited the environment around their nuclear plants, which are reported in their Biodiversity Conservation report.
At Daya Bay, to protect marine ecosystems and biodiversity, pre-operational and subsequent ecological surveys were carried out by use of satellite remote sensing, measurement and other methods to monitor the water temperature and study the heat resistance of characteristic marine organisms.
During construction of Daya Bay the local population of Chinese Egrets moved away. However, once the plant was put into operation in 1994, measures such as replanting trees to restore and protect the ecological environment were carried out, and the egret population returned.
During the construction of Yangjiang nuclear power plant measures were taken to protect the Chinese white dolphin population, including reducing the amount of suspended solids in seawater and strictly controlling waste discharge during construction.
The Hongyanhe nuclear power is situation in the Liaodong Bay area, the natural environment of spotted seals, which are the only marine pinniped mammals that breeds in China. The seals are extremely sensitive to the habitat environment: even the sound of ship engines can drive them away. At the Hongyanhe nuclear power plant CGN formulated strict management regulations for construction ships from the beginning of the construction stage, prohibiting high-noise navigation and the discharge of sewage and solid waste into the sea. It also set up monitoring points near the sea for regular environmental monitoring and minimized construction activities in winter to reduce impacts on the seals.
Interview: Han Wenyu, Senior Engineer, Chief of the Civil & Construction Management
What measurements have been carried out to monitor the environmental impact of construction and operation of plant at Hongyanhe?
From 2016 to 2020, Hongyanhe Company commissioned the Liaoning Provincial Ecological Environment Protection Science and Technology Centre to conduct a five-year monitoring program covering water quality, ecological conditions, and spotted seal observations. The findings concluded that thermally altered discharge water has not caused significant impacts on the ecological environment of the surrounding marine areas.
In 2020, Hongyanhe Company further commissioned the Liaoning Marine and Fisheries Science and Research Institute to evaluate the potential impacts of the Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant on spotted seals and their habitats. By September 2021, the project received official opinions from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs . Based on expert reviews and the company’s commitments, Hongyanhe Company initiated a 10-year monitoring program for spotted seals (with the first phase spanning three years) in December 2021, commissioned to the Marine Sciences Academy.
As of the end of 2024, the Marine Sciences Academy conclusions are as follows; through years of observing known haul-out sites, China’s spotted seal population has remained generally stable, with an estimated over 2,000 individuals. During the operational phase of the Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant, the company fully implemented the recommended conservation measures outlined in the Special Evaluation Report on the Impacts of the Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant on Spotted Seals and Their Habitats. Through strict environmental management practices, the plant’s operations have not caused significant impacts on spotted seals or their habitats.
This conclusion underscores the effectiveness of the protective measures and ongoing environmental stewardship by Hongyanhe Company.
A large population of Chinese Egrets was spotted in the sea around Hongyanhe. Is this associated with the conservation measures that CGN has been undertaking?
There is no direct evidence that the implemented conservation measures have directly caused an increase in the population of the Chinese Egret. However, the designation of functional zones around the Hongyanhe area, which prohibit fishing activities and other disruptive practices, has created a more favourable environment for the reproduction and survival of marine organisms. This improved ecological condition likely contributed to an increase in the availability of the Chinese Egret’s primary food sources, which in turn may have supported population growth in the species.
There have also been efforts to improve and optimize community structure and water ecology at Hongyanhe, what have these involved?
A total of 200 million juvenile shrimp, 30 million crabs, 4.8 million turbot (brown teethed flounder), and 1.8 million mackerel have been released into the sea. This has supported the recovery of population biomass for key species, promoting the restoration and regulation of the Bohai Sea ecosystem near Dalian. It has enhanced economic returns for local fisheries through improved resource abundance. It has also contributed to carbon sequestration thereby improving marine environmental quality.
The program underscores the synergy between sustainable resource management and ecological conservation, aligning with broader goals of balancing marine development with environmental stewardship.