Nuclear Power: China's Clean Energy Solution

Nuclear power is a key part of China's strategy to reduce its carbon emissions and tackle climate change. As of 2023, China has the third-largest nuclear power fleet in the world, with 55 operational plants and 22 under construction.

Nuclear power is a clean, low-carbon energy source that can help China achieve its goal of carbon neutrality by 2060. Compared to coal-fired power plants, nuclear power emits 95-97% less CO2 per megawatt-hour and can reduce air pollution.

China's nuclear power capacity has grown rapidly in the past decade, with electricity generation from nuclear power plants increasing nearly fourfold between 2012 and 2022. This growth is expected to continue, with China on track to have the world's largest nuclear fleet by 2030.

China's nuclear power expansion is driven by several factors, including:

- Energy security and the need to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

- Addressing environmental concerns and improving air quality.

- Meeting growing electricity demand.

- Developing domestic nuclear technology and reducing dependence on imported uranium.

- Exporting nuclear technology and equipment to other countries, particularly those involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

China's nuclear power sector is supported by government policies, including favourable pricing and operating hours for electricity sales, cheap debt capital, and assistance with land acquisition and transmission connections.

However, there are challenges and concerns related to nuclear power in China, including:

- Safety risks and the impact of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, which led to increased safety regulations and a temporary pause in new plant approvals.

- Public opposition to nuclear power projects, particularly in inland regions and near major cities.

- The need for improved nuclear waste management and storage facilities.

- Competition from other energy sources, such as renewable energy and natural gas.

Nuclear power is a clean, low-carbon technology that will help China achieve carbon neutrality by 2060

China is one of the world's largest producers of nuclear power. As of February 2023, China has 55 nuclear plants with 57GW in operation, 22 under construction with 24 GW, and more than 70 planned with 88GW. Nuclear power accounts for about 5% of electricity in the country.

China's nuclear power capacity has grown rapidly in the past decade. In the past 10 years, more than 34 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear power capacity have been added in China, bringing the country’s number of operating nuclear reactors to 55 with a total net capacity of 53.2 GW as of April 2024. China is the world's fastest-expanding nuclear power producer.

Nuclear power is seen as an alternative to coal due to increasing concerns about air quality, climate change, and fossil fuel shortages. China's nuclear power plants are concentrated near population centres in the eastern part of the country along the coast of the Pacific Ocean.

China has two major nuclear power companies: the China National Nuclear Corporation, operating mainly in northeast China, and the China General Nuclear Power Group, operating mainly in southeast China. China aims to maximise self-reliance on nuclear reactor technology manufacturing and design, although international cooperation and technology transfer are also encouraged.

China has set ambitious goals for expanding nuclear power. The 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025) set a goal of 70 GW of installed capacity by 2025. China's nuclear fleet is expected to reduce emissions of heat-trapping gases. A 1 GW nuclear power plant replacing coal-fired power avoids roughly 7 million tonnes of CO2 per year.

China is also a leading nuclear innovator. It is the first country to build a Generation IV reactor, connecting a demonstration project to the grid in 2021. China is also involved in the development of nuclear fusion reactors through its participation in the ITER project.

China has also become a major exporter of nuclear power technology. It plans to build as many as 30 nuclear power reactors in countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative by 2030.

China's nuclear power fleet helps reduce emissions of heat-trapping gases

China is the world's third-largest producer of nuclear power, with 54 operational nuclear power units and roughly 52 GW of capacity as of September 2022. Between 2011 and 2020, China connected 37 nuclear reactors to the grid, adding roughly 36 GW of capacity. This growth is one of the fastest additions of nuclear power capacity in history, behind only the US and France between 1979 and 1989.

Nuclear power is a clean, low-carbon technology that will help China achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. Nuclear plants emit 95-97% less CO2 per MWh on a lifecycle basis than coal-fired power plants, which means that a 1 GW nuclear power plant replacing coal-fired power avoids roughly 7 million tonnes of CO2 per year.

China's nuclear fleet is concentrated near population centres in the eastern part of the country along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The country's nuclear fleet consists mostly of pressurised water reactors, including the US Westinghouse-designed AP1000s and the French Orano European Power Reactors.

China's nuclear power plants are built near large cities, and there is a concern that tens of millions of people could be exposed to radiation in the event of an accident. China's neighbouring Daya Bay and Lingao nuclear plants have around 28 million people within a 75-kilometre radius that covers Hong Kong.

China's nuclear power plants are concentrated near population centres in the eastern part of the country

China's nuclear power plants are located from the Liaoning province in the north to the Hainan province in the south.

China's nuclear power plants are mostly pressurised water reactors

The two main PWRs in operation in China are the EPR and the AES2006. The EPR is a four-loop PWR, with one steam generator and a coolant pump for each loop. The AES2006 is also a four-loop PWR, but with a horizontal steam generator and a coolant pump for each loop.

The Hualong One is another type of PWR, and is jointly developed by the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN). It is based on the three-loop ACP1000 of CNNC and ACPR1000 of CGN, which in turn are based on the French M310. The Hualong One has a power output of 1170 MWe gross, 1090 MWe net, with a 60-year design life, and would use a combination of passive and active safety systems with a double containment.

China is also developing several Generation IV reactor designs, including the HTR-PM, a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, and the CFR-600, a sodium-cooled fast reactor.

China's nuclear power plants are built by two major companies: the China National Nuclear Corporation and the China General Nuclear Power Group

China's nuclear power plants are built by two major companies: the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and the China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN).

CNNC is a state-owned enterprise founded in Beijing in 1955. It has 100,000 employees and 110 subsidiaries, with 4 nuclear power plants and 9 reactors in operation. CNNC has a generation capacity of 6.5 GWe and is supervised by the State Council via the State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.

CGN, formerly known as China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group, is also a state-owned energy corporation. It operates nuclear plants at Daya Bay, Ling Ao, Hongyanhe, and Ningde, with 5 new nuclear power stations under construction and another 2 planned. CGN has expanded its operations to include wind, solar, and hydroelectric energy.

Both CNNC and CGN are key players in China's nuclear power industry and uranium mining, with CNNC being the only exporter of Chinese nuclear power plants. They have collaborated on standardising the Hualong One reactor design, which is now largely seen as the replacement for all previous Chinese nuclear reactor designs.

The impetus for nuclear power in China is largely due to air pollution from coal-fired plants, with the country aiming to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and increase the share of non-fossil fuels in its energy mix.

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