China's nuclear ambition: Overtaking U.S. with bold reactor plan
The Chinese authorities have approved the construction of ten new nuclear reactors for 200 billion yuan ($27.7 billion CAD) with a total capacity of about 12,000 megawatts, reported the Japanese weekly "Nikkei Asia" on Friday. This means that by 2030, China could become the world leader in nuclear energy production, surpassing the United States.
Eight of the planned units are Hualong One reactors of domestic production, and two are Westinghouse CAP1000 reactors, based on American technology.
The new power plants will be built in five coastal provinces and autonomous regions. They will be managed by state-owned energy companies.
The investment is part of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's strategy aimed at reducing air pollution. In 2020, Xi announced that China would strive to reach peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve net zero emissions before 2060.
Beijing is also striving to improve the country's energy security and reduce dependence on imports, as China imports about 70% of its oil, explained "Nikkei Asia".
By the end of 2024, China had 57 reactors with a total capacity of 59.76 gigawatts, placing the country third in the world. Forecasts indicate that by 2030, the capacity of Chinese nuclear power plants will reach 110 gigawatts. Currently, nuclear energy constitutes 4.7% of China's energy mix, with the prospect of increasing to 10% by 2040.
The United States has the most nuclear power plants in the world, but is 15 years behind China in the development of advanced nuclear energy technology, according to a report from the American research institute Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF).
