China's nuclear power generation capacity will triple to account
for 4 percent of its total power output by 2020, the General
Manager of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) Kang Rixin
said on Friday.
At a sideline forum of the 2004 World Engineers' Convention
(WEC), Kang said China's power shortage makes it necessary to
rapidly develop nuclear power plants in the first two decades of
this century.
The State has already listed the nuclear power industry as a
priority in its high technology research and development plan and
called for the industry to grow at an annual rate of 15 percent in
the coming five years, Kang said.
China now has eight commercial nuclear power stations, either in
operation, under construction, or planned.
Among its 19 reactors, nine are in operation, two are under
construction, and four China-designed ones and as many imported
ones will soon be built.
By the end of 2003, Kang said, nuclear energy accounted for 1.6
percent of the country's total power generation capacity.
In 2003, the nuclear power plants generated 43.7 billion
kilowatt-hours of electricity, or 2.3 percent of the country's
total power output.
In the past several decades, China has built a complete nuclear
fuel system from resources exploitation to disposal of used fuel
rods.
In the 1990s, China rapidly expanded its applied nuclear
technology to be used in industry, agriculture and medicine. More
than 300 domestic enterprises specialize in developing such
technologies.
In the coming 15 years, Kang said, CNNC will aim to upgrade its
research and development capability in nuclear technologies.
(China Daily November 6, 2004)
