China General Nuclear Power Group: Fueling the community development through innovating public communication

Company Profile
China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) is a large state-owned enterprise group which is comprised of China General Nuclear Power Group Corporation and more than 30 subsidiaries. It was formally established in September, 1994 with a registered capital of 10.2 billion yuan. CGN is committed to the production and supply of clean energy, energy conservation and utilization of clean energy to provide clean energy products and services in a large-scale, high-efficient and sustainable way. “Safety and quality come first” is the unswerving policy at CGN.
Challenge
Nuclear power shows a sense of mystery and fear among the public because of its highly professional knowledge. The large-scale nuclear power project may cause extensive effect, high sensitivity and great attention. For this reason, we must build mutual trust and establish a mature and stable relationship with the surrounding communities, which is an important guarantee to the sustainable development. We must increase their correct understanding of nuclear power and enhance their acceptance by communication and knowledge dissemination so that we can achieve the win-win outcome with neighboring communities in the nuclear power projects. How to do this, however, is a major challenge facing the nuclear power companies.
Solution
In 2013, CGN made innovations in the public communication through multiple levels of public engagement and experience activities, educational system and internet publicity.
In terms of public engagement, CGN has recognized August 7 of each year as “Public Experience Day”, inviting public representatives, news media and opinion leaders to face-to-face communication and discussion and listening carefully to their views and suggestions. In 2013, CGN organized eight “micro tourism” and "micro-experience" activities. Through the channels of Wechat and microblog, more than 400 public representatives and opinion leaders were selected to visit the nuclear power base and experience in person the safety of nuclear power.
In terms of information disclosure, CGN opened the radiation safety information disclosure platforms in 2013 at another two newly-built nuclear power bases, Ningde Nuclear Power Plant in Fujian province and Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant in Liaoning province, while ensuring timely disclosure of similar information at Daya Bay Nuclear Power Base in Guangdong province.
In addition, CGN has created a micro-blog matrix which consists of official micro-blogs of seven nuclear power bases and opened its public Wechat called “CGN News”. In 2013, more than 1000 pieces of information were communicated to over 75 million people through these channels.
In terms of educational activities, Liaoning Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant staged a first wave of popular science courses on nuclear power for more than 6,800 students in 31 middle schools in Wafangdian, Dalian. In the teaching process, it provided training for teachers, organized site visits for students and carried out essay and knowledge contests. Besides, it made scientific analysis of public understanding of nuclear safety and their core demands through questionnaires and other ways.
CGN has constantly renewed the contents, facilities, communication channels and education methods of science popularization and explored the long-term mechanism for popular science. It has built 8 nuclear power showrooms at various nuclear power bases and their surrounding areas, which welcomes more than 200,000 visitors each year. It has also cooperated with Guokr, a well-known popular science website, to set up a nuclear power column named The Cosmos in the Nuclear Energy, which receives 1 million visits each year.
Achievements
During the preparation for a new project, CGN will make multi-channel communications with the government and organizations at the levels of villages, counties, cities and provinces so that it can fully understand the demands and opinions of all sectors and make response in the construction process of project. In order to allay public concerns about the environment and safety, CGN organized the representatives from government, civil society, media and the residents to have field study at our nuclear power sites, take part in nuclear power forums, seminars and other activities to popularize scientific knowledge in 2013. More than 20,000 people have personally witnessed the real situation of China’s nuclear power plants and reached a consensus on the development of nuclear power.
Prospect
In the future, CGN will give high priority to the public communication to allow a growing number of people to have a true understanding of nuclear power and ensure more people may benefit from the development of clean energy.