China to build 30 nuclear power plants along Silk Road route by 2030

BEIJING – The President of the China National Nuclear Corp, Sun Qin, has announced that China has set a target of building approximately 30 nuclear power units in countries along the Belt and Road Initiative routes by 2030.

Citing “very strong competition in the international nuclear market”, Sun said 70 countries in total are already planning or developing their own nuclear power projects, with an estimated 130 more nuclear power units to have been built by 2020.

“Countries like Russia, South Korea, Japan and the United States are all exploring the global nuclear market aggressively,” he said. China currently has 30 nuclear power generating units with a capacity of 28 million gigawatt, with another 24 units under construction, according to data from the National Energy Administration.

As one of China’s three nuclear giants, CNNC has already reached bilateral agreements on nuclear energy co-operation with countries including Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Britain, France and Jordan. Second only to high-speed rail technology, China is increasingly looking to nuclear power as its most exportable technology. www.webershandwick.cn (ATI).