"China Expected to Approve 10 Nuclear Reactors Annually by 2035"

The Chinese government is expected to approve 100 new nuclear reactors over the next decade.

Hainan Nuclear Power Plant Construction Site, China. Photo by Yonhap News

According to Bloomberg News, Tian Jiasu, Secretary-General of the China Nuclear Society (CNS), said on the 3rd (local time) at the BloombergNEF Summit held in Shanghai, China, that China, which has approved a record 11 reactors for construction so far this year, could achieve the "realistic goal" of approving 10 reactors annually until 2035.

He stated that at this rate of expansion, nuclear power capacity could increase to 200 gigawatts (GW) by 2035, four times the current capacity, meeting 10% of electricity demand. He added that by 2060, this could expand to 400 GW, supplying 16% of electricity consumption.

Bloomberg assessed that China is on track to surpass the United States and France by 2029 to become the world leader in the nuclear power sector.

Meanwhile, according to Bloomberg News, France's EDF and the UK's Centrica announced that they have postponed the scheduled 2026 closure of two reactors at the UK's Hartlepool and Heysham 1 nuclear power plants by one year.

Additionally, two reactors at the Heysham 2 and Torness nuclear power plants, originally set to close in 2028, will continue operating until 2030.

Nuclear power plants in the UK are considered a crucial energy source under the UK government's plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Although reliance on wind and solar power is increasing to meet electricity demand, backup power is needed when wind and solar generation drops significantly.

EDF plans to invest an additional ?1.3 billion (approximately 2.33 trillion KRW) in nuclear power from 2025 to 2027, on top of the ?8 billion (about 14.3 trillion KRW) already invested since 2009.

Furthermore, EDF intends to extend the lifespan of the Sizewell B nuclear power plant from 2035 to 2055, although a final investment decision has not yet been made.