BEIJING: China is set to become a global leader in operational nuclear power capacity by 2030, as it is steadily expanding its nuclear energy industry, said experts and company executives.
As of the end of 2024, the country had 102 nuclear reactors in operation, under construction, or approved for construction, with a combined installed capacity of 113 million kilowatts, according to the “China Nuclear Energy Development Report 2025”, which was released on Sunday in Beijing at the Spring International Forum on Sustainable Nuclear Energy Development.
This is the first time that China’s overall nuclear power capacity has topped global rankings, the report said.
“China’s nuclear energy development is entering a new period of strategic opportunities,” Yang Changli, rotating chairman of the China Nuclear Energy Association, said at the forum.
“By 2030, the installed capacity of operational nuclear power is expected to reach 110 million kW. Nuclear power will play a vital role as a key substitute for high-carbon energy sources and a mainstay for the stability of the new power system,” Yang said.
On Sunday, the State Council, China’s Cabinet, approved the construction of 10 new reactors, including Phase III of the Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant in East China’s Zhejiang province, with a combined investment exceeding 200 billion yuan ($27.4 billion).
This is the fourth year in a row that China has approved at least 10 new reactors, which further demonstrates the key role that nuclear power plays in the country’s clean energy transition.
According to the CNEA, China currently has 28 nuclear reactors under construction, with a total installed capacity of 33.65 million kW.
It also has 58 operational commercial nuclear reactors, with a combined installed capacity of 60.96 million kW.
“China’s nuclear power sector has entered a peak period of large-scale construction,” said Dong Baotong, vice-minister of ecology and environment. “With more units expected to be approved in the future, China’s scale of units under construction is higher than the combined total of units under construction in countries worldwide.”
According to the report, investment in nuclear power engineering construction in 2024 reached a record high of 146.9 billion yuan, about 52 billion yuan more than the previous year.
CITIC Securities estimated that with the accelerated approval of nuclear power projects, investment in new nuclear power plants in China is expected to reach 231 billion yuan by 2025, which will further stimulate the country’s related industry chain and help the country achieve its carbon emission reduction targets sooner than planned.
The State Council meeting on Sunday emphasized absolute safety in nuclear power development, calling for efforts to ensure that nuclear power units are built and operated in accordance with the highest global safety standards.
According to the latest World Association of Nuclear Operators’ index on global nuclear power unit performance, China’s nuclear power operation safety performance has continued to rank among the best in the world.
Hou Yingdong, an official with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said at a news conference on Wednesday that China’s nuclear power units have been operating with good safety standards for years. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
