China says no change of plan for nuke facilities
Source: Xinhua |
March 13, 2011, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA will not change its plan to build nuclear power facilities but will draw lessons from a radioactive leak at a plant in Japan caused by a massive earthquake, Vice Minister of Environmental Protection Zhang Lijun said yesterday.
"China has 13 nuclear power installations in operation and tests have shown all are safe," Zhang said on the sidelines of the national parliamentary session in Beijing.
China is "keeping a close eye" on what happens to Japan's nuclear facilities in the wake of the quake, he said.
"Some lessons we learn from Japan will be considered in the making of China's nuclear power plans," he said. "But China will not change its plan to build more nuclear power plants."
From 2011 to 2015, China will launch nuclear energy projects that have a combined generating capacity of 40 million kilowatts, according to the government's draft 12th Five-Year Plan, which was published one week ago.
In addition to boosting the construction of nuclear power plants in coastal areas, new facilities will be planned in central regions.
China has been monitoring its coastal cities and found, they have not been affected by the leak in Japan, Zhang said.
The quake and tsunami cut the power supply to some of the 11 reactors in Japanese nuclear power plants and diesel generators designed to provide back-up electricity to the cooling system.
The cooling system, which is usually water but can be a gas or a liquid metal, is circulated past the reactor core to absorb the heat it generates.
If the cooling system fails, it could lead to the core overheating with a molten mass melting through the reactor's container, leading to radioactivity into the containment building surrounding the container and possibly causing an explosion.
The reactors in Japanese nuclear power plants are Generation II reactors and have to rely on back-up electricity to power its cooling systems in times of emergency, according to Lu Qizhou, general manager of China Power Investment Corporation.
But the AP1000 nuclear power reactors, currently under construction in China's coastal areas and set to be promoted in its vast hinterland, are Generation III reactors. These reactors are cooled by water, stored in massive tanks. In times of emergency, gravity will allow the water to pour from the tanks to cool the reactor's core.
"It's just like a flush toilet, no power is needed," Lu said.
1,700
At least that number of people are feared dead or missing from the quake and tsunami, Kyodo news agency says.
300,000
The number of people evacuated nationwide in Japan. This includes 90,000 from areas near a nuclear plant, many seeking refuge in shelters, wrapped in blankets, some clutching each other sobbing.
3,400
The number of buildings that were either destroyed or badly damaged. About 200 fires had been sparked, including three that still raged as of yesterday afternoon in the northeastern city of Kesennuma.
20km
The radius of area that the Japanese government says is closed for evacuation around Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Earlier, the announced evacuation area was 10km.
US$15b
The amount of total insured losses, according to equity analysts covering the insurance industry.
"China has 13 nuclear power installations in operation and tests have shown all are safe," Zhang said on the sidelines of the national parliamentary session in Beijing.
China is "keeping a close eye" on what happens to Japan's nuclear facilities in the wake of the quake, he said.
"Some lessons we learn from Japan will be considered in the making of China's nuclear power plans," he said. "But China will not change its plan to build more nuclear power plants."
From 2011 to 2015, China will launch nuclear energy projects that have a combined generating capacity of 40 million kilowatts, according to the government's draft 12th Five-Year Plan, which was published one week ago.
In addition to boosting the construction of nuclear power plants in coastal areas, new facilities will be planned in central regions.
China has been monitoring its coastal cities and found, they have not been affected by the leak in Japan, Zhang said.
The quake and tsunami cut the power supply to some of the 11 reactors in Japanese nuclear power plants and diesel generators designed to provide back-up electricity to the cooling system.
The cooling system, which is usually water but can be a gas or a liquid metal, is circulated past the reactor core to absorb the heat it generates.
If the cooling system fails, it could lead to the core overheating with a molten mass melting through the reactor's container, leading to radioactivity into the containment building surrounding the container and possibly causing an explosion.
The reactors in Japanese nuclear power plants are Generation II reactors and have to rely on back-up electricity to power its cooling systems in times of emergency, according to Lu Qizhou, general manager of China Power Investment Corporation.
But the AP1000 nuclear power reactors, currently under construction in China's coastal areas and set to be promoted in its vast hinterland, are Generation III reactors. These reactors are cooled by water, stored in massive tanks. In times of emergency, gravity will allow the water to pour from the tanks to cool the reactor's core.
"It's just like a flush toilet, no power is needed," Lu said.
1,700
At least that number of people are feared dead or missing from the quake and tsunami, Kyodo news agency says.
300,000
The number of people evacuated nationwide in Japan. This includes 90,000 from areas near a nuclear plant, many seeking refuge in shelters, wrapped in blankets, some clutching each other sobbing.
3,400
The number of buildings that were either destroyed or badly damaged. About 200 fires had been sparked, including three that still raged as of yesterday afternoon in the northeastern city of Kesennuma.
20km
The radius of area that the Japanese government says is closed for evacuation around Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Earlier, the announced evacuation area was 10km.
US$15b
The amount of total insured losses, according to equity analysts covering the insurance industry.
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