China's new nuclear technology not yet fully up to standard, energy official says

Key technology and equipment being deployed as the mainland shifts towards advanced nuclear reactors were "still not completely up to standard", an official with the country's energy regulator said yesterday.

Liu Baohua, the head of the nuclear office at the National Energy Administration, said the mainland also needed to improve its regulatory and legislative environment for nuclear power.

The mainland aims to raise its nuclear capacity to 58 gigawatts by 2020 from 19GW now, but experts say it will struggle to meet its target amid approval delays.

Beijing has promised to adhere to the highest possible safety standards when approving new projects.

It has rested much of its hopes on the success of the third-generation AP1000 reactor designed by US-based Westinghouse, with the world's first due to go into operation at the end of next year in Zhejiang, two years later than originally scheduled.

"The third-generation reactors now under construction still have problems with the pumps and valves, and with the inflexibility of the design," Liu said.