State-owned power company China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Co. Ltd. would invest the money in the project, which would involve six generating units with a combined installed capacity of 6,000-9,000 megawatts, to be built at Yangjiang, the China News Service reported.

Construction work of the project was expected to start soon, it said, citing Tang Xiaofeng, vice general manager of the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Co. Ltd.

The approval came down from the cabinet, on September 2, the report said.

It was not clear if the plants would be built with international technology or be domestically made.

China Guangdong Nuclear Power currently operates the Daya Bay nuclear plant and Phase I of Lingao nuclear plant with total installed capacity of 4,000 megawatts.

China is planning to boost nuclear power development to meet the country's surging demand for electricity.

The issue has become more urgent as the energy-hungry eastern provinces have been suffering from major power shortages.

China put its first nuclear power plant into operation in 1991 at Daya Bay and now operates nine nuclear power plants with a total installed capacity of 7,000 megawatts, which represents about 1.8 percent of the country's total installed power generating capacity.

According to government plans, a total of 32 new 1,000 megawatt reactors are expected to be brought on line by 2020.

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