Morin, joining the World Nuclear News podcast from Beijing, says China currently has 62 GW of generating capacity plus 38 new units under construction which will add 44 GW. There are another 17 units approved with 20 GW capacity. This means that by the mid-2030s, China will likely have doubled its capacity to more than 120 GW.
He talks about the different technologies being used - the CAP1000 (China's version of the AP1000) and Hualong One reactors, plus Russian-designed VVER units - and the goal of starting construction of 8 to 10 new units per year. The longer-term ambition is for nuclear to have a 15% share of the electricity mix. To achieve that, it is likely that nuclear capacity will need to continue increasing at an even faster rate over the coming decades.
Although there is rapid expansion of nuclear capacity, the sheer scale of energy demand growth in China means that there is also world-leading expansion of renewables and coal plant capacity. With plenty of nuclear projects queuing up, one other issue covered is the likelihood of China starting to authorise inland sites in the coming years.
Among the things to watch out for in the coming months is fuel loading and start-up of the ACP100 small modular reactor (also known as the Linglong One) on China’s tropical island of Hainan. Morin says that the country is considering the opportunities for SMRs to replace coal plants, as well as working on a second iteration. It is also aware of the considerable export potential for such technology.
Other topics covered include: the innovative industrial heating project where two Hualong One reactors are paired with a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor; the work on fast breeder reactors as part of a solution to long-term fuel supply; nuclear fusion research and specifically a fission-fusion project; molten salt reactors; and permanent disposal facilities.
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Episode credit: Presenter Alex Hunt. Co-produced and mixed by Pixelkisser Production
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Cover image:
Construction site of CGN Zhaoyuan Nuclear Power Plant in Shandong (Image: China General Nuclear Power Group)
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