Planned Guangdong nuclear fuel project canceled

GUANGZHOU -- A planned nuclear fuel processing project in south China's Guangdong province has been canceled following local residents' opposition, local authorities said Saturday.

The planned Longwan Industrial Park project, located in Zhishan Township in the city of Heshan, has been canceled, according to the municipal government of Jiangmen, which administers Heshan, and sources from the China National Nuclear Corporation, builder of the project.

Many local residents expressed opposition to the project after it was made public by the Heshan government on July 4, said Wu Yuxiong, mayor of Heshan.

"The Heshan government respects the public's opinion and will not apply for approval for the project," Wu said.

The public's opposition was mainly due to safety worries and environmental concerns.

The planned industrial park, with a designed capacity of 1,000 tons of uranium in 2020, will feature facilities for uranium conversion, enrichment and manufacturing of nuclear fuel equipment, involving a total investment of 37 billion yuan ($6 billion).