POLICY & FINANCE | CHINA’S NUCLEAR LEAD innovation unlocked China’s nuclear
Long perceived as a technology follower, China is nonetheless confounding expectations by stretching out its nuclear energy ambitions to become a clear leader. Instead, argues a new report, nations like the US should copy China’s approach to nuclear power to ensure they don’t fall behind in the race
CHINA LIKELY STANDS 10 TO 15 years ahead of the United States in the development of Gen IV nuclear reactors. This is the conclusion of a new analysis from the science and technology think tank the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF). Their latest report notes that China is rapidly moving forward with its nuclear buildout, aiming to install between 6 and 8 new nuclear reactors each year going forward and intending to build 150 new nuclear reactors between 2020 and 2035. That represents an additional 5 - 8 GW of new nuclear generating capacity a year and China already has 27 units currently under construction. This build rate is more than two and a half times that of any other country and the country is expected to surpass the United States in nuclear-generated electricity by 2030. China has an existing fleet of 56 reactors while the United States currently fields 94 units. With an average construction timeline of about seven
years for nearly every Chinese nuclear project that has entered service since 2010, since the start of 2022 China has completed an additional five domestic reactor builds. Completion times range from just under five years to just over seven years. China has also already begun operating the world’s first
fourth-generation nuclear reactor, the 200 MW gas-cooled Shidaowan-1 in Shandong province. In this regard, China asserts it developed some 90% of the technology of this unit. Furthermore, the report argues, China is also leading in the development and launch of cost-competitive small modular reactors (SMRs).
The core of Chinese nuclear innovation The report acknowledges that these striking results do not necessarily mean that China’s largest nuclear power companies are exceptionally innovative technologically. Indeed, the bulk of China’s current fleet of nuclear reactors consists of Gen III reactors based on the Westinghouse Electric AP1000 technology that was transferred to China in 2008 as part of a contract to build four reactors. The report notes that state-owned nuclear enterprise
the China National Nuclear Power (CNNP) notes that “innovation and research and development (R&D) are not the primary emphasis of the company”. China’s Gen IV technology is not a new concept either. However, China has taken the steps to build and operate the technology. This is one of the key conclusions from the report. While noting that China’s nuclear industry is built on a base of foreign technology, it has rapidly advanced to become the world’s leading proponent, supported by a whole-of-government strategy that provides extensive financing and systemic coordination. Thus, where China has thrived in nuclear power its innovation is closely related to the country’s coherent national strategy toward nuclear power at both federal and provincial levels. The report notes this entails a range of supportive policies ranging from low-interest financing, feed-in tariffs, and other subsidies to streamlined permitting and regulatory approvals and effective coordination of supply chains. Rapid deployment of nuclear plants also produces significant economies of scale and learning-by-doing benefits.
Above: The bulk of China’s current fleet of reactors consists of Gen III designs based on the Westinghouse Electric AP1000 but that is rapidly changing
42 | September 2024 |
www.neimagazine.com
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