China to Start Construction of Eight Nuclear Power Stations in Next Three Years

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The National Energy Administration of China (NEA) recently proposed to adjust the target of installed capacity of nuclear power in operation from the 40 gigawatts (GW) specified in the Nuclear Power Middle and Long-term Development Plan to 70 GW in 2020, and the installed capacity under construction will also be adjusted from 18 GW to 30 GW in 2020. Meanwhile, the NEA also suggested accelerating the construction of nuclear power stations in the near term, and 16 units in eight nuclear power stations with total capacities of more 10 GW will begin construction in the next three years. However, this adjustment is subject to the final approval of the State Council.

In 2008, Guobao Zhang, Director of the NEA, clearly stated that "we are planning to adjust the middle- and long-term development plan to have the installed capacity of nuclear power account for more than 5% of the total capacity in 2020." According to the predication of the State Electricity Regulatory Commission, the installed capacity of China is expected to surpass 1,200 GW in 2020. Five percent of this total would be 60 GW, which is not a high percentage compared to the world's average.

Based on the population of China, the country needs about 1,500 GW of power generation capacity. For China, the peak capacity of thermal power will be about 900 GW, 200 GW of hydropower and 200 GW of new energies; the remaining 200 GW will be supplemented by nuclear power.

For the eight nuclear power stations to begin construction in future 3 years, the NEA has disclosed that four power stations, including Sanmen in eastern China's Zhejiang province, Taishan in southern China's Guangdong province, as well as Haiyang and Rongcheng in the Shandong province, will begin construction in 2009. In addition, three inland nuclear power stations located in Taohuajiang in central China's Hunan province, Dafan of Hubei province and Pengze of Jiangxi province, as well as the Hongsha nuclear power station located in Fangchenggang City in the Guangxi Region and Changjiang nuclear power station on Hainan Island, have received approval from the National Development and Reform Commission to start pre-stage preparation.

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