Experts forsee restart of nuclear projects construction

Yangjiang nuclear plant in Guangdong province. Several new projects are expected to start construction this year to meet the government's target of having about 15 percent of non-fossil fuels in its energy mix by 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

There is a saying in the nuclear industry that people will accept building nuclear power plants, only if they are built far away from their home.

That said, though it has been three years since China gave the green light to new nuclear power plants after the Fukushima nuclear crisis in Japan, an increasing number of people are voicing support for the clean source of power, after repeated instances of dense, gray smog in major Chinese cities.

Despite the fact that no ground was broken on new nuclear plants last year, experts believe that this year would be a crucial one for the industry, with several new projects expected to commence construction so as to meet the government's target of having about 15 percent of non-fossil fuels in its energy mix by 2020.

In November, the State Council rolled out an energy plan to have a more efficient, self-sufficient, green and innovative energy production and consumption. The plan envisages having 58 gigawatt of nuclear power in operation by 2020 and at least 30 GW under construction. To meet that target, China needs to add at least another 10 GW of installed capacity, experts said.

According to Guo Chengzhan, deputy director of the National Nuclear Safety Administration, all the nuclear power generating units in China have met, and in some cases, even exceeded, global safety standards.

"The nuclear power industry has been operating safely for about three decades in China," he said, adding that China was getting ready to restart its nuclear power program.

Zhao Chengkun, vice-chairman of the China Nuclear Energy Association, said China's nuclear plans are on track and the country will soon give the green light for setting up nuclear power plants in coastal regions.

"Currently nuclear power accounts for just 2 percent of the total energy consumption, thereby providing enough room for growth," he said.

"Normally it takes about five to six years to build a nuclear plant, and as such most of the new nuclear projects are set to start this year."

Under huge pressure to cut carbon emissions, China has chalked out an ambitious nuclear program for the next five years and will add about 10 new reactors annually within the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), experts said.

Li Pumin, secretary general of the National Development and Reform Commission, said that coastal nuclear power projects, which will adopt the highest international safety standards, have been identified as one of the seven areas that will target private investment.

Prior to this, most of the nuclear projects in China have been reliant on State funding.

"This is a positive signal for nuclear companies in the upstream and downstream sectors that are waiting for the final go-ahead from the State council," he said.

Experts said the regulatory body has already drawn up a draft list of new projects for final approval and is also working on the resumption of the nuclear energy development plan.

Unit 5 and 6 of the Hongyan River nuclear power plant in China's northeast Liaoning province are likely to be the first project that will get approval, as it has been the fastest to complete the assessment and safety checks from the National Nuclear Safety Administration.

Chai Guohan, chief engineer of the nuclear and radiation safety center under the Ministry of Environmental Protection, said the expert committee has already reviewed the safety standards for the Hongyan River project and found everything in order. "All it needs is the final clearance from the government."

Units 1 and 2 of Xudapu nuclear power plant in Liaoning province, Sanmen's unit 3 and 4 in Zhejiang province, Haiyang in Shandong province, as well as Lufeng's unit 1 and 2 in Guangdong province are the other possible candidates that could get the green light this year, he said.

Though coastal plants will be approved first, a rescheduling plan has also been made for inland projects like Taohuajiang in Hunan province, Xianning in Hubei province and Pengze in Jiangxi province, which had previously been expected to start construction before 2015.

"For inland projects, the major issue is to work out safety norms and deal with water resource conservation, and at the same time, to educate people to accept the clean energy," Zhao Chengkun said.

China currently has 22 nuclear power reactors in operation with an installed capacity of about 17 GW. A further 26 units are under construction, with combined capacity totaling almost 30 GW.