China Nuclear Energy Plan is 70 GW by 2025 and 180 GW by 2035

by

Chinese nuclear capacity reached 51GW at the end of 2020. The new target for 70GW of nuclear generation before 2025 and 180 GW by 2035. The 51 GW of nuclear was 2.5% of total capacity. The 180 GW will be about 5% of total capacity in 2035. China will nearly double total energy generation by 2035.

If China reaches 180 GW of nuclear capacity in 2035 then this will be about double the nuclear capacity in the USA. China used 7510 terawatt-hours of power in 2020 up 3.1% from 2019. China usage of electrical power is over the combined usage of the USA (4200 TWH) and Europe (2500 TWH) in 2020. China expects to add 180 gigawatts (GW) of new power generation capacity in 2021 to push the country’s total capacity to 2,370 GW, up 7.7% from a year ago. Total installed non-fossil fuel capacity is forecast to reach 1,120 GW by the end of 2021, with about 140 GW being added this year, accounting for 47.3% of China’s energy mix. China will add 1,200 GW of solar and wind capacity by 2030.

In January, the China National Nuclear Corporation began commercial operations at its first Hualong One reactor. This reactor design is the first developed in China. The plan is for six to eight new nuclear units per year in order to take advantage of economies of scale.

Luo Qi, a member of China’s Atomic Energy Research Initiative, wrote: “By 2035, nuclear plants in operation should reach around 180GW, amounting to 5% of total capacity.”

In 2020, China built 38.4GW of coal-fired generation. At the same time, it started the decommissioning of 8.6GW, leaving a net gain of 29.8GW. In the same year, the country’s power demand increased by 3%, despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

China plans 60% non-coal generation by 2025 and no more than 10% of its power from gas.

Uranium prices increased to over $30 per pound. Uranium prices have been low for over a decade due to more nuclear plant retirements and less new construction after Fukushima. The Japanese reactor was built on a flood plain and the diesel fuel tanks were washed away by a tsunami.

SOURCES- Power Technology, China, Yan Qin, CNNC
Written By Brian Wang, Nextbigfuture.com

13 thoughts on “China Nuclear Energy Plan is 70 GW by 2025 and 180 GW by 2035”

  1. On the Decouple Podcast Francois Morin gave examples of FOAK build costs.
    Converting to USD/kWe they were:
    Hualong One $2385/kWhe
    AP1000 $2798
    EPR $2568
    If you go back a few years there was a plan announced to build 20 inland AP1000s once the first four were complete that was quoted at $40B. Of course the delays etc. squelched the plan. But it shows what they were thinking.
    They are going to have to move fast to get another 20GWe in 2025, when there is only 16GW that has started construction.

  2. At least the chinks and injuns are competent enough to actually build nuclear plants regularly. US engineers and industry are thoroughly inept.

  3. No it is on both.

    Yes, but…

    China will add 1,200 GW of solar and wind capacity by 2030.
    The new target for 70GW of nuclear generation before 2025 and 180 GW by 2035

  4. I don't know where you have seen that, Not what I have seen, you can send a link to validate that.

  5. Energy independence is a strategic priority given the US Navy could cut off oil and coal shipments from abroad and they have coal and gas to develop within their land and sea borders.

  6. China is not known for good safety protocols, their actions nee close monitored maybe even collaborating to make sure disasters don't happen. For India is the same…

  7. They are also building coal plants as fast as they can, about 300 GW under construction at this moment.

  10. It would be interesting to see a further break-down of these numbers: how much is solar, wind, hydro, nuclear, coal and gas added per year?
    I read somewhere that most new renewable energy in China is hydro.

Comments are closed.