(Yicai Global) Feb. 8 -- China General Nuclear Power Group will adopt sophisticated NHR200-II low-temperature heating reactor technology with the support of prestigious Tsinghua University, news site The Paper reported. As the technology could be applied to heating systems, it represents another move by China to cut out use of coal, a major pollutant.

The national energy administration which held a meeting on using nuclear power to provide heating solutions for North China approved that CGN teams up with Tsinghua to carry out early-stage work, including planning and site selection, land and water use, emergency plans and communication with the public for China's first demonstrative heating project with the help of nuclear power, the report said.

Air pollution has been troubling North China for years as the region relies on heating during winters. Leveraging nuclear power to provide clean heating solutions has become a practical choice for China as the country seeks to adjust its energy structure and tackle smog.

The Clean Winter Heating Plan for Northern Regions (2017-2021) jointly drawn up by 10 Chinese government agencies including the National Development and Reform Commission, the top macro-economic planner, NEA and the ministry of environmental protection last December explicitly called for studying heating by leveraging nuclear power, promoting the use of existing nuclear power generators to heat nearby regions, and developing demonstrative low-temperature pool-type heating reactor projects.