China considers raising nuclear generation target

06 November 2008

[China Daily, 6 November] China is considering increasing its total installed nuclear power generating capacity to 70 GW by 2020, according to Huang Li, head of energy conservation and equipment at the National Energy Administration (NEA). In 2006, the Chinese government set a national target of having 40 GW of nuclear generating capacity by 2020. Huang told a meeting in Chengdu, Sichuan province, "The severe winter weather earlier this year in southern China that paralyzed electricity supplies and coal transportation exposed risks and vulnerability in the traditional power supply system." She added, "The global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions had prompted China, which relied heavily on coal, to revise its energy strategy and increase the proportion of clean energy." The current installed capacity of nuclear power is only about 9 GW, or 1.3% of the totalled installed electricity generating capacity.

---