China Focus: China approves 10 new reactors, boosting nuclear power for climate goals

BEIJING, May 1 (Xinhua) -- China has recently greenlit 10 new nuclear reactors across coastal regions, accelerating its atomic energy expansion amid renewed global interest in nuclear power.

The move underscores the nation's commitment to achieving its ambitious climate targets -- peaking carbon emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.

Eight new reactors will employ the domestically designed Hualong One, a third-generation pressurised water reactor. The remaining two units will utilize the CAP1000 technology derived from the Westinghouse AP1000.

China currently operates 58 nuclear reactors and is building 44 more, totaling 102 facilities. At this pace, it will surpass all other nations to become the world's top nuclear power operator by 2030, representing a combined potential generating capacity of approximately 113 gigawatts.

According to Liu Jing, deputy director of China Atomic Energy Authority, China is poised to be the sole nation globally with over 100 operational commercial nuclear power units during its 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

The country's nuclear power output reached 450 billion kWh in 2024, cutting 140 million tonnes of standard coal use and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 370 million tonnes, according to the National Energy Administration (NEA).

Also, the nuclear power's integration into the market is deepening in China, with market-based transactions accounting for 46 percent of nuclear generation in 2024, up from around 30 percent in 2020, according to a blue paper published on Sunday.

Nuclear power development is an essential pillar of China's energy security strategy and a critical step toward achieving a green, low-carbon energy transition, said He Yang, deputy director of the NEA.

Plus, China is pioneering next-generation nuclear power, launching the world's first commercial fourth-gen, high-temperature, gas-cooled reactor in 2023 and building the first land-based small modular reactor demo, slated for 2026 completion.

SMART PLANT

The control room screens flickered as an engineer tapped a single button, and within minutes, the massive nuclear reactor hummed into motion, its startup sequence now fully automated.

Immediately, another monitor blinked with real-time data: 2 million operational metrics stream every second, tracking the plant's "vital signs" like a digital nervous system.

This was China's first industrial-grade smart operating system for atomic power plants, unveiled at a nuclear industry expo held this week in Beijing.

Developed by the state-owned China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN), the AI-driven platform represents the country's latest move to integrate digital technology into the nuclear energy sector.

An increasing number of Chinese nuclear power plants are leveraging AI and other digital technologies to enhance efficiency and safety.

"What we've built isn't just an upgrade. It's a new brain for nuclear facilities," explained Guo Jingren, a CGN architect.

The system's predictive algorithms, already tested at multiple operational plants, are capable of identifying coolant pump anomalies 20 days before conventional monitoring systems would have triggered alerts.

"Accelerating the application of 'intelligent nuclear power' to nuclear units will significantly enhance their inherent safety and reduce maintenance costs," said Chen Yingjian from the China Nuclear Energy Association. ■