China Plans to Accelerate Nuclear Power

[Dogmudgeon]

Wind, geothermal, nuclear -- the Chinese will use it all.

Note, they also want to get away from coal. Good move.

http://www.caijing.com.cn/20080626/71705.shtml">China Plans to Accelerate Nuclear Power (Caijing Magazine)

China is considering expanding nuclear power’s share of nationwide generating capacity to more than 5 percent by 2020, while at the same time giving interior sections of the country new opportunities to build nuclear stations.

An expert from the China Electricity Council told Caijing the government is mulling the steps as part of what would be the second revision in a year for a national strategy for nuclear power development.

According to a strategy released last year by the top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), nuclear power is supposed to account for 4 percent of the nation’s power capacity by 2020, rising to around 40 million kilowatts from the current 8.85 million kilowatts.

...

China has been counting on nuclear power to supplement an energy network seen as too reliant on coal-fired power generation. An official at the China Electricity Regulatory Commission told Caijing that “rising prices and the widening gap between supply and demand for power plant coal has strained China’s power supply. China is adjusting its energy development strategy by encouraging the development of nuclear power and renewable energy.”

...

--p!

[thecrow]

1. Oh, no!

Do we have to threaten to bomb China now?

[Zachstar]

2. Good!!

Their reactors are not as advanced as our newest designs but they are good designs and hopefully will atleast partially reduce the future impact.

[bananas]

3. Actually, their new reactors are our newest designs

They are purchasing the technology to build their own AP-1000's,
and to sell them internationally.
Ten years from now, we'll be buying reactors from China.

(edit: ten years instead of twenty)

[Zachstar]

4. I HIGHLY doubt that!

Fission while being an awesome technology is quite expensive and it is just a matter of years before Alt technologies make it too expensive to purchase many more reactors going into 2010.

And if ITER works even it will be online in 2030.

But much more likely is this by 2012. http://www.emc2fusion.org/