What’s new: China approved 10 new nuclear power units last year, the most since 2008, and construction is underway on 24 units with total capacity of about 26.81 million kilowatts (kW), ranking first in the world, an industry report showed Wednesday.
By 2030, China is expected to surpass the United States and become the world's largest nuclear power plant operator, according to the report, released by the China Nuclear Energy Association.
In 2022, China’s nuclear power generation reached a record 417.78 billion KWH, up 2.5% from 2021, and accounted for 4.7% of the country’s total electricity. Coastal provinces such as Hainan, Guangdong, Fujian and Zhejiang now generate more than 20% of their electricity using nuclear power.
However, the proportion of nuclear power in China’s electricity supply is still less than half the world average of 10%, the report said. The proportion will reach the world average by 2035 and will rise to 17.5% by 2060, catching up with the levels of developed countries, the agency found.
The background: Since 2016, China’s approvals of nuclear power projects have been largely stalled. The country didn’t authorize any nuclear power projects from 2016 to 2018, mainly under pressure from public opinion following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, according to a report by Guosen Securities.
In the context of the clean energy transition, power supply shortages and demand for infrastructure investment amid slower economic growth, nuclear energy development has gained renewed attention.
In October 2022, a report released at the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party emphasized the “active, safe and orderly development of nuclear power.”
Contact reporter Denise Jia (huijuanjia@caixin.com) and editor Bob Simison (bob.simison@caixin.com)
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