China National Nuclear Corp., the country’s biggest operator of atomic power plants, may sell shares publicly to fund overseas projects as demand for clean energy increases, President Sun Qin said.

China is urging nuclear equipment makers including rival China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group to partner with foreign firms to build reactors abroad, Sun said in an interview in Beijing today, without giving details on the proposed share sale.

China is competing with South Korea, Japan and India for resources to drive their economies, with companies such as China National Petroleum Corp. and China National Offshore Oil Corp. seeking stakes in oil and gas fields in Africa and Latin America.

South Korea aims to get $400 billion of nuclear contracts by 2030. Korea Electric is in talks with at least five countries including Turkey, Jordan and Malaysia to build atomic plants after winning an order from the United Arab Emirates, Chung Kun Mo, an adviser to the utility, said in January.

State-run China National Nuclear and China Guangdong Nuclear are already in discussions with potential overseas customers, Sun said, without elaborating.
Source： www.businessweek.com