China confident of raising installed nuclear power capacity to 58 GW by 2020

BEIJING - China can meet its target of achieving 58 gigawatts (GW) of installed nuclear power capacity by 2020, despite slower approval for new nuclear power generators following the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, a senior official said on Wednesday.

The government has taken a series of measures to ensure safety of nuclear facilities between 2011 and 2014, including a security inspection on all facilities in operation and under construction, adopting the most stringent safety standards and improving the overall system for nuclear emergency response, said Xu Dazhe, director of the China Atomic Energy Authority, at a press conference.

The Chinese mainland is now home to 30 nuclear power generating units in operation, with a total installed capacity of 28.31 GW. It also has 24 units with a total installed capacity of 26.72 GW under construction, ranking the first in the world, according to Xu.

The government approved the construction of eight nuclear power generating units last year. "At this rate, we can reach the goal of raising the installed nuclear power capacity to 58 GW with an additional 30 GW under construction by 2020 as planned," Xu said.

China's 54 units currently in operation and under construction are located in eight provincial-level areas including Liaoning, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan.

"China's nuclear power generating units are mainly along the eastern coastal areas because the development of nuclear power should meet demand first," Xu said, adding that the country's eastern region is more economically developed.

The official, however, said the government is looking into the feasibility of building nuclear power plants in inland areas, noting that the decision should be based on the demand for energy and ensuring safety should be a prerequisite.

Under its medium- and long-term development objectives, China aims to become a strong nuclear power country by 2030, according to a white paper on China's nuclear emergency preparedness issued by the State Council Information Office on Wednesday.