China plans '28 more' reactors by 2020

23 March 2010

China has approved the construction of a further 28 new nuclear reactors by 2020 under revised targets to meet rising energy demand and accelerate the development of the industry, according to media reports. Bloomberg and China Daily quoted Mu Zhanying, general manager of the state-run China Nuclear Engineering Group, who said that the 1 GWe reactors would cost up to 14 billion yuan ($2.1 billion) each. Plans announced in 2005 called for the construction of 40 GWe of nuclear capacity by 2020; the revised plans call for over 70 GWe. The reports suggest that the 28 reactors mentioned in the media include those already under construction. China already has some 20 reactors under construction, with a further 36 firmly planned.