CHINA LEADS THE WAY WITH NEW NUCLEAR PROJECTS

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According to Bloomberg, China has more nuclear reactors under construction than any other country, having approved a dozen in each of the past two years. The nation is on track to become the world’s largest producer of nuclear energy by 2030, overtaking France and the United States. Moreover, it was the first country to connect a small modular nuclear reactor to its grid in the Shandong province.

The EAST fusion-research tokamak at the Chinese Academy of Science’s Institute of Plasma Physics (ASIPP) in Hefei, China.

China has approved five new nuclear power projects, adding 11 reactors with an estimated investment of 220 billion yuan ($30.79 billion), marking a new record in the country’s atomic energy expansion. The decision was taken at an executive meeting of the State Council, presided over by Premier Li Qiang on Monday, the state-run Xinhua news agency said. State-controlled Chinese business news outlet Jiemian said the reactors will be constructed across the provinces of Jiangsu, Shandong, Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Guangxi.

Jiemian estimates are based on the average cost of 20 billion yuan ($2.8 billion) per reactor. Typically, China completes such projects within five years of approval. Six of the reactors will be managed by subsidiaries of the state-owned China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN), with several expected to be third-generation Hualong One reactors.

The China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) will build three more reactors, while the State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) will oversee the construction of two others. Both CNNC and SPIC are also publicly owned. Notably, the Xuwei project in Jiangsu, operated by CNNC, will include a fourth-generation gas-cooled reactor designed to supply both heat and electricity, featuring enhanced safety measures.

China connected its first commercial onshore small modular nuclear reactor to its power grid, making it the first country in the world to draw power from such a machine, a report from Bloomberg reveals. China Huaneng Group Co.‘s 200-megawatt unit 1 reactor at Shidao Bay is connected to the grid in the Shandong province.

As part of its energy security and emissions reduction strategy, China is heavily investing in nuclear power alongside renewable sources like wind and solar. Beijing aims to double nuclear energy’s share of the national energy mix from 5 percent to 10 percent by 2035. Dutton is correct in including it in Australia’s energy mix.

CHINA’S NEW THORIUM NUCLEAR REACTORS CHANGE EVERYTHING!

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In August 2021, China announced the completion of its first experimental thorium-based nuclear reactor. Built in the middle of the Gobi Desert in the country’s north, the reactor is undergoing testing. If the experiment proves successful, Beijing plans to construct another reactor potentially capable of generating electricity for more than 100 000 homes.  

China is not alone in its intentions to reap thorium’s unique properties. In the past, India, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and other countries have demonstrated enthusiasm for research into the possible application of thorium in nuclear power.

What can thorium offer?

Thorium boasts several advantages over the conventional nuclear fuel, uranium-235. Thorium can generate more fissile material (uranium-233) than it consumes while fuelling a water-cooled or molten-salt reactor. According to estimates, the Earth’s upper crust contains an average of 10.5 parts per million (ppm) of thorium, compared with about 3 ppm of uranium.

“Because of its abundance and its fissile material breeding capability, thorium could potentially offer a long-term solution to humanity’s energy needs,” Kailash Agarwal, a Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities Specialist at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.

Another advantage is that thorium-fuelled reactors could be much more environmentally friendly than their uranium counterparts. In addition these reactors — and nuclear power in general — do not emit greenhouse gases in operation, they also produce less long-lived nuclear waste than present-day uranium-fuelled reactors. 

Not without challenges

However, several economic and technical obstacles make the deployment of thorium challenging. Despite its abundance, the metal is currently expensive to extract. 

 Maritime / China Unveils Plans For ‘Largest Ever’ Container Ship, Powered By Thorium Reactor

January 2024 Report: Jiangnan Shipyard, a division of state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), said the KUN-24AP, featuring a thorium-based Generation IV molten salt reactor, would prove safer and more efficient than the uranium reactors currently used to power warships.

China has an abundant supply of thorium meaning that it could be a cost-effective low-carbon alternative for shipping and other industries.