The country will accelerate the construction of nuclear power plants, particularly in the coastal regions, to ease mounting pressures on coal transportation from the northern regions and electricity transmission from west China, a top energy official said yesterday.
The move, which could see nuclear power making up a minimum of 5 percent of the country's total energy mix in 2020, from the current level of less than 2 percent, was announced yesterday by Zhang Guobao, chief of the newly elevated National Energy Bureau.
Zhang revealed the latest target for nuclear power at a three-day China Development Forum in Beijing, which ends today.
He said the readjustment was decided after the country's central and southern regions were devastated by heavy snow in January and February, where trunk railways and power grids were severely damaged.
Zhang, who is also NDRC vice-minister, said the snow havoc had shown the country's energy security to be under threat from a "fragile supply-demand balance" of coal, which is mainly transported from northern China to power the economic hubs in the southern and eastern regions.
He said the authorities had weighed the gains and risks from speeding up the construction of nuclear power plants.
"All sides (policymakers and the public) have reached the consensus that nuclear energy is an ideal option for China," he said.
He said that with the industrialization of key technologies and proper waste disposal, the country was capable of realizing the increased use of nuclear power.
China currently has 11 nuclear power plants with a combined installed capacity of 9.08 million kW. Three use domestic technology, two are based on Russian technology, four use French technology and two are Canadian-designed.
Wind power in China has already exceeded energy development plan targets and the country is set to become the world's largest generator of wind power, Zhang said.
The Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Gansu and Jiangsu provinces have been picked to hold the country's first batch of wind power clusters, designed to generate 10 million kW each, Zhang said.
This is compared with about 18 million kW from the Three Gorges electricity power generators in the Yangtze River.
He said when all the wind farms are put into operation by 2013, China will surpass Germany as the world's biggest wind power producer. Currently, Germany has the wind power capacity of 22 million kW.
With currently 74 officers in charge of the country's energy administration, Zhang said that more staff will be recruited to his bureau to strengthen energy management.
He added that the bureau, is not seeking to obtain the authority to control pricing in the sector.
Currently, the pricing rights of refined oil and electricity are in the hands of the NDRC's pricing department.
"No matter who is in charge, the goal of our reform is to let the market have the final say," Zhang said.
Questions:
1. Where will most of the construction of nuclear power plants take place?
2. What is the projected minimum that nuclear power will contribute to the country's total energy mix by 2020?
3. At present how many nuclear power plants does China have?
Answers:
1. In the coastal regions.
2.5 percent.
3.11.
（英語點津 Celene 編輯）
About the broadcaster:
Brendan joined The China Daily in 2007 as a language polisher in the Language Tips Department, where he writes a regular column for Chinese English Language learners, reads audio news for listeners and anchors the weekly video news in addition to assisting with on location stories. Elsewhere he writes Op’Ed pieces with a China focus that feature in the Daily’s Website opinion section.
He received his B.A. and Post Grad Dip from Curtin University in 1997 and his Masters in Community Development and Management from Charles Darwin University in 2003. He has taught in Japan, England, Australia and most recently China. His articles have featured in the Bangkok Post, The Taipei Times, The Asia News Network and in-flight magazines.
