China gives green light to five nuclear units to cut carbon and aim for climate goals, sources say
- State Council approved nuclear projects to be developed by China National Nuclear Corporation at a meeting on Wednesday
- Safety official says nuclear power is necessary if China aims to have carbon emissions peak by 2030 and for the nation to be carbon neutral by 2060
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At a meeting on Wednesday China’s State Council approved five nuclear projects, which will be developed by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), one of the two sources familiar with the matter said.
Officials, including those from the National Energy Administration and National Nuclear Safety Administration, attended the meeting at which the development of the nuclear industry in the country was discussed, four sources said. They asked not to be named because they were not authorised to speak to the press.
“Nuclear power is a ‘have to do’ choice if China aims to achieve the targets of bringing carbon emission [to a peak] by 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality by 2060,” an official from the nuclear safety bureau said.
The five reactors approved include four regular nuclear units – number 7 and number 8 at Tianwan nuclear power plant in eastern Jiangsu province, and number 3 and number 4 in Xudapu in northeastern Liaoning province.
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All four will use Russian-made VVER-1200 technology and have an individual capacity of 1.2GW, two of the sources said.
The government also approved a 125-megawatt small modular reactor (SMR) demonstration project at Changjiang nuclear power plant in Hainan province.
In one of the country’s first experiments with small reactors aimed at better economics, CNNC will use home-grown ACP100 technology.
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Construction of three of the five units – the SMR and one each from Tianwan and Xudapu – is expected to start later this year and is scheduled for completion in 2026, one official said.
“They are moving ahead as earlier scheduled,” the official said, adding that meant China had re-established its normal pace in advancing new projects.
The State Council and CNNC did not immediately respond to requests seeking comment.
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China is also accelerating the development of an upgraded model of its home-grown third generation nuclear technology, Hualong Two.
China’s Nuclear Energy Association expects the country to have installed or have under construction a total of 200 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2035.
