Beijing's ambitious nuclear-expansion plan looks increasingly likely to slow, as several provinces have started reconsidering their development of nuclear power, heeding calls from the central government to shift their priority from speed to safety.
Authorities in Fujian and Hubei have openly voiced support for Premier Wen Jiabao's decision last week to suspend approvals for new nuclear plants pending the completion of overarching nuclear safety strategies and to launch a comprehensive safety review of existing facilities and those under construction, China Business News reported yesterday.
The report came during heated debate over the mainland's nuclear future, prompted by Wen's surprisingly bold move as Japan's crisis has unfolded.
The State Council decision was interpreted by many officials and analysts as a sure sign that the country's newly adopted plan to give nuclear power a big boost in the next five years would be affected.
The impact of the government's decision could be more severe and last much longer than expected, said Li Junfeng, a senior official in charge of renewable energies at the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).
'It is predicted that the national nuclear safety plan is unlikely to be completed within a year,' he told the 21st Century Business Herald last week. 'That means no new nuclear power plants will be allowed to go ahead at least for a year as a result of the decision.'