China amps up nuclear ambitions with 10 new reactor approvals for fourth straight year
China’s third-generation Hualong One reactors will be among those built in some coastal provinces, and each can meet the energy demands of 1 million people
China’s State Council has approved 10 new nuclear reactors across five sites, ramping up the development of the nation’s rapidly expanding nuclear power industry with a combined investment of more than 200 billion yuan (US$27.4 billion).
The year’s first approval of new nuclear reactors came during a State Council meeting chaired by Premier Li Qiang on Sunday. They will be built in the coastal provinces of Zhejiang, Guangdong, Guangxi, Shandong and Fujian, according to The Paper, a state-run publication.
As stressed in the meeting, the development of nuclear power must ensure “absolute safety”.
“The nuclear power industry continues to experience strong growth … China’s nuclear power projects are being regularly approved and built according to the highest global safety standards,” analysts from Citic Securities wrote in a research note on Monday.
This marks the fourth straight year that the State Council has approved at least 10 nuclear reactors. The push to develop nuclear power aligns with China’s pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, as the country remains the world’s largest consumer of coal power and biggest emitter of greenhouse gases.
A report released by the China Nuclear Energy Association on Sunday showed, for the first time, that China is the global leader in nuclear power capacity, with 102 nuclear reactors in operation, under construction or approved, with a total installed power capacity of 113 million kilowatts.
Data from the World Nuclear Association shows that about 65 power reactors are being constructed in 15 countries, and 30 are in China, making it the country with the largest number of nuclear reactors in the pipeline. Russia is second, with seven under construction.
Investment in nuclear power construction projects reached a record-high 146.9 billion yuan in 2024 – up 52 billion yuan from the previous year, according to the report.