(Yicai Global) Sept. 21 -- The construction of the fifth unit of Hualong One, China's first domestically designed third-generation nuclear reactor, has reached another milestone of receiving materials for cladding, while gathering speed to start operations next year. 

CNNC Areva Shanghai Tubing prepared the first batch of almost 200 kilometers of fuel cladding tube, which is the outer layer that stands between the coolant and the nuclear fuel, to deliver it to the Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant, state-backed the Paper reported today. Fuqing project, located in southeast China's Fujian province, is jointly designed by two state-owned giants, China General Nuclear Power Group and China National Nuclear.

In April 2015, the government approved the use of Hualong One technology in Fuqing along with another project Fangchenggang in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. The country has four overseas projects in mind for Hualong One, including two in Pakistan, one in Argentina and one which is pending government approval in the UK. 

CNNC Areva is a joint venture between China National Nuclear and France's Framatome, both of which hold a 50 percent stake. 

Editor: Emmi Laine