BEIJING, Nov 28, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – 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.
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.