LORO SI SVILUPPANO
NOI CI SOTTOSVILUPPIAMO
Proposed Safety Spending in China Hints at Resumption of New Nuclear Plant Approvals
The Chinese government proposed $12 billion in safety improvements at nuclear facilities Tuesday, brightening the prospect that the country is moving toward resumption of approvals for new nuclear plants.
China is far and away the world leader in nuclear construction, with more than two dozen reactors going up across the country. While work has resumed at those sites, permission for new projects has been on hold since a review of the country’s nuclear safety framework was initiated following the Fukushima Daiichi accidents in Japan.
The Communist Party-owned Global Times reported that the Ministry of Environmental Protection drafted the plan approving nuclear waste treatment plants and safety upgrades at existing reactors. Since September, the ministry also has granted certification to 778 people passing nuclear safety exams, in addition to issuing environmental clearances sought by plants.
The Global Times quoted energy experts in China as saying the safety projects are a sign that the government will resume its expansion of the country’s nuclear fleet.
According to the World Nuclear Association, ongoing and proposed construction are slated to boost China’s nuclear generation from about 12 gigawatts to 60 gigawatts by 2020 and then to 200 gigawatts by 2030.