Expert: Power goal is attainable

by Liu Yiyu, China Daily, 2011-05-13 —

A worker walks near the Taishan 1 Areva SA EPR reactor at the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group Co atomic plant in Taishan, Guangdong province, in July 2010. New projects in their preliminary stages or awaiting approval will remain on hold because of the Japanese crisis. [Photo / Agencies].

China ‘will reach 70 gW capacity’ despite nuke plant approval freeze

BEIJING – China is likely to achieve its target of 70 gigawatts (gW) in nuclear capacity by 2020 despite its freeze on approving new nuclear projects since Japan’s nuclear crisis, Xu Yuming, vice-secretary general of the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA), said on Thursday.

"China will reach at least 70 gW in nuclear capacity by 2020," Xu said. "Eighty gW is also possible."

The country could attain 50 gW of nuclear capacity by 2015, with projects totaling 40 gW of capacity under construction now, Xu said.

As of the end of 2010, China had 10.8 gW of nuclear capacity, according to the National Energy Administration (NEA).

Japan’s nuclear crisis has no impact on the long-term development of China’s nuclear sector, Xu said, though the enthusiasm for building nuclear reactors has diminished.

The sector has been growing at the rate of six to eight new reactors a year. . . .

Expert: Power goal is attainable