GUANGZHOU, Jan. 12 -- It was in late 2011 when a crucial decision needed to be made by Deng Zhengping, assistant general manager at the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant and his colleagues -- shall they make Taishan the world's first EPR project to be completed?

EPR, or European Pressurized Reactor, is a third-generation nuclear power solution supplied by the French giant Framatome. The "double-wall" containments designed for Taishan EPR units can protect the reactors from accidents such as earthquakes and even a direct hit from a plane.

With higher safety and quality standards than previous reactors, the solution has been adopted in several countries.

Construction of EPR projects in Finland's Olkiluoto Unit 3 and France's Flamanville Unit 3 began in 2005 and 2007, respectively, four and two years earlier than at Taishan. But Deng saw his chance to catch up and even surpass his European counterparts.

"Some people didn't believe we could make it. But I was confident based on our ability and experiences," Deng told Xinhua. "But if we wanted to be the first, we'd better get prepared as soon as possible."

Of course, they wanted to be the first. But it was risky -- to take the lead in the construction of a new type of reactor meant that they would encounter numerous challenges and difficulties, which would probably result in severe expense overruns and project delays.

It also meant that they could not learn from others' lessons. Instead, they had to write the textbook for themselves and for EPR projects worldwide.

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