flag
China has powered up its first domestically
developed nuclear reactor — the Hualong One — a significant
step in Beijing’s attempts to become less dependent on Western
allies for energy security and critical
technology.
The reactor, which was connected to the national grid on Friday,
can generate 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each
year and cut carbon emissions by 8.16 million tons, according to
China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).
“This marks China breaking the monopoly of foreign nuclear power
technology and officially entering the technology’s first batch of
advanced countries,” CNNC said in a statement.
Nuclear plants supplied less than five percent of
China’s annual electricity needs in 2019, according to the National
Energy Administration, but this share is expected to grow
as Beijing attempts to become carbon neutral by 2060.
Reducing its dependence on Western allies in critical high-tech
sectors such as power generation is a key goal in Beijing’s “Made
in China 2025” plan.
Billions of dollars in state subsidies have been given to
Chinese companies to speed the process — a move that has angered
China’s trade partners and sparked a protracted trade row with
Washington.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
Work on the Hualong One reactor started in 2015 and there
are currently six other reactors under construction at home and
abroad, state-owned plant operator CNNC said.
The Hualong One, deployed at a plant in east China’s Fujian
province, will be put into commercial use by the end of the year
after undergoing tests.
China has 47 nuclear plants with a total generation capacity of
48.75 million kilowatts — the world’s third-highest after the
United States and France.
Beijing has invested billions of dollars to develop
its nuclear energy sector in recent years as it struggles to
wean its economy from coal.
Thirteen nuclear plants are under construction, more
than in any other country, despite environmental and
safety concerns.
In August 2016, officials were forced to shelve plans for a
nuclear waste facility in Lianyungang, a city in eastern Jiangsu
province, after a rare public protest by thousands of
residents.
AFP
Read more https://swordpress.com.ng/2020/11/28/chinas-first-domestically-made-nuclear-reactor-goes-online/