Construction of China's first two CAP1400 nuclear reactors is expected to start in Shandong province this year, with commissioning set for 2018, industry sources said.

They added that the project will help pave the way for China to export nuclear power plants and services.

Work is behind schedule, the result of a suspension of the nation's nuclear energy program after the 2011 accident at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear station.

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State Nuclear Power Technology Corp, one of China's three nuclear giants, said on Thursday the project will help pave the way for exports, a possibility that the company plans to explore this year in conjunction with United States-based nuclear engineering firm Westinghouse Electric Co LLC.

"We have eliminated obstacles to construction, and the next step is to build our credibility and reputation overseas with regard to our reliability and strength in the construction of nuclear power plants," SNPTC Chairman Wang Binghua said during the biannual AP/CAP qualified suppliers symposium in Shanghai.

He said some countries such as the United Kingdom and South Africa have shown "great interest" in the third-generation nuclear technology known as AP1000, which was developed by Westinghouse, as well as its scaled-up version, China's CAP1400.

This could be the year that China takes a crack at the overseas market.

"In partnership with Westinghouse, we are confident of succeeding in nuclear power expansion around the world, supported by a strong government and higher safety standar

Third-generation nuclear technology relies on passive safety features that don't require action by operators.

China has set a target of 58 gigawatts of installed nuclear capacity by 2020, up from 15.69 GW at present.