China will be able to build six to eight nuclear reactors a year if project approval processes return to normal as expected in the near future, the chairman of the state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said on Monday (Apr 1). “That should be enough to meet our country’s 2030 development plans,” Yu Jianfeng said, speaking on the sidelines of an industry conference. China did not approve any new conventional nuclear projects for three years before giving the nod to two new reactor complexes in southeast China earlier this year. China originally planned to put 58 gigawatts of nuclear power into operation by 2020, with another 30 GW under construction. Total capacity stood at 46 GW by the end of last year, with 11 GW still being built. But the slowdown means it is unlikely to meet its 2020 goals, and industry executives have been calling on the state to accelerate the approval process in order to ensure that 2030 energy, climate and pollution targets can be reached. China aims to raise the share of non-fossil fuels to 20 per cent of its total energy mix by 2030, up from 15 per cent in 2020. It also aims to bring greenhouse gas emissions to a peak by around the end of the next decade.
Channel News Asia 1st April 2019 read more »
China has set guaranteed minimum on-grid electricity tariffs for third-generation nuclear power stations, the state planner said on Monday, providing reference prices for other projects set to come on stream using the new technology. China is backing new advanced reactor technologies as it looks to increase nuclear power generation as a cheaper and cleaner option to coal-fired power. It is the first country to complete the construction of third-generation models like Westinghouse’s AP1000 and the French EPR design, and is also promoting its home-grown third-generation Hualong One reactor design. The tariffs for electricity from third-generation nuclear projects in three provinces was set by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) at slightly below the cost of coal-fired power.
Reuters 1st April 2019 read more »
