'Small number' of nuke plants to get OK by 2015
By Richard Fu |
October 25, 2012, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
China said yesterday that it is ready to approve new nuclear power plants as part of its ambitious plans to reduce reliance on oil and coal, but only a "small number" of nuclear reactors will get the go-ahead before 2015 to ensure safety.
"Only a small amount of nuclear sites on the coast that have been sufficiently evaluated will be approved during the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015), and none will be inland," according to a statement released after a State Council meeting presided by Premier Wen Jiabao.
Several inland provinces, including Sichuan and Hunan, have been seeking central government approval for nuclear reactors.
China suspended new project approvals in March last year and ordered a nationwide safety review on existing plants following the nuclear crisis at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi reactor complex.
The statement said the government seeks to "steadily" resume normal construction of nuclear projects.
Environmental safety, public health and social harmony are musts for nuclear power projects, it said.
"The principle of putting safety first must be implemented throughout the planning, construction, operation, retirement and other processes," it said.
China should constantly carry out safety upgrades on currently operating reactors and use the most advanced technologies, the statement said.
The country will also intensify safety management, step up research and development for safety-related technology and equipment and establish a system of laws and regulations on nuclear power safety standards, as well as enhance its emergency management and response capabilities in case of a nuclear accident, according to the statement.
China has 15 reactors in service with combined capacity of 12.54 gigawatts. It has another 26 under construction with combined capacity of 29.24GW, the world's largest. Nuclear power capacity will reach 40GW by 2015, according to a government white paper for the energy sector released yesterday.
All new plants must meet the "highest global safety requirements" and conform to "third-generation" nuclear safety standards, the statement said. That could be a boon for leading global reactor builders including Westinghouse, which is owned by Japan's Toshiba Corp, and France's EDF and Areva.
Currently most of China's reactors are based on second-generation technologies. The nation is already building AP1000 reactors, designed by Westinghouse, at a plant in Sanmen, Zhejiang Province, which will be the first of the third-generation units to go into operation.
China will step up international cooperation for its nuclear development, the statement said. France, which gets more of its power from atomic plants than any other country, said it plans to cement nuclear ties with China even as it curtails expansion at home, seeking a "lasting and balanced" nuclear partnership with China.
Nuclear power makes up 1.8 percent of China's power generation, far below the global average of 14 percent, the white paper said.
"Only a small amount of nuclear sites on the coast that have been sufficiently evaluated will be approved during the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015), and none will be inland," according to a statement released after a State Council meeting presided by Premier Wen Jiabao.
Several inland provinces, including Sichuan and Hunan, have been seeking central government approval for nuclear reactors.
China suspended new project approvals in March last year and ordered a nationwide safety review on existing plants following the nuclear crisis at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi reactor complex.
The statement said the government seeks to "steadily" resume normal construction of nuclear projects.
Environmental safety, public health and social harmony are musts for nuclear power projects, it said.
"The principle of putting safety first must be implemented throughout the planning, construction, operation, retirement and other processes," it said.
China should constantly carry out safety upgrades on currently operating reactors and use the most advanced technologies, the statement said.
The country will also intensify safety management, step up research and development for safety-related technology and equipment and establish a system of laws and regulations on nuclear power safety standards, as well as enhance its emergency management and response capabilities in case of a nuclear accident, according to the statement.
China has 15 reactors in service with combined capacity of 12.54 gigawatts. It has another 26 under construction with combined capacity of 29.24GW, the world's largest. Nuclear power capacity will reach 40GW by 2015, according to a government white paper for the energy sector released yesterday.
All new plants must meet the "highest global safety requirements" and conform to "third-generation" nuclear safety standards, the statement said. That could be a boon for leading global reactor builders including Westinghouse, which is owned by Japan's Toshiba Corp, and France's EDF and Areva.
Currently most of China's reactors are based on second-generation technologies. The nation is already building AP1000 reactors, designed by Westinghouse, at a plant in Sanmen, Zhejiang Province, which will be the first of the third-generation units to go into operation.
China will step up international cooperation for its nuclear development, the statement said. France, which gets more of its power from atomic plants than any other country, said it plans to cement nuclear ties with China even as it curtails expansion at home, seeking a "lasting and balanced" nuclear partnership with China.
Nuclear power makes up 1.8 percent of China's power generation, far below the global average of 14 percent, the white paper said.
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