Industrial report calls for optimizing China’s nuclear power layout

As of the end of 2023, China is leading the world with 26 nuclear power units currently under construction, with a total installed capacity of 30.3 GW. However, a report released by the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA) highlights a discrepancy between the capacity of nuclear power and the requirements to meet the country’s “dual carbon” goals. The report suggests that constructing nuclear power projects in central provinces, where the electricity supply gap is prominent, could help optimize the layout.

According to the report titled “China Nuclear Energy Development Report 2024”, in 2023, China’s commercial nuclear power units continued to operate safely and stably, with two new commercial nuclear power units added throughout the year, bringing the total number to 55 units with a total installed capacity of 57.03 GW, ranking third in the world.

Nuclear power accounts for 4.86 percent of the China’s total electricity generation, resulting in a reduction of 340 million tons of annual carbon dioxide emissions, Wang Yiren, chief expert behind the report, said at the International Forum on Nuclear Energy Sustainable Development while releasing the report.

The report highlighted the ongoing challenges in the development of nuclear power in China, including the discrepancy between installed capacity and the necessary requirements to meet “dual carbon” goals, the current layout of nuclear power construction falling short of building a new type of power system, and the absence of industrial scale for comprehensive utilization of nuclear energy.

To address the mismatch, the report calls to optimize the layout of nuclear power by initiating construction of nuclear power projects in central provinces with prominent electricity supply gaps.

Shu Yinbiao, a consultant from State Grid Corporation of China, said that it is advisable to initiate the pre-project and construction work for nuclear power projects in the central region around 2030.