China will witness rapid growth in the number of nuclear power stations after
a 2005-20 blueprint for the energy sector was approved by a State Council
meeting chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao yesterday.
Nuclear power stations will be integral to the country's energy strategy and
will play a significant role in enhancing national strength and technology,
participants at the meeting agreed.
According to the blueprint, nuclear power is a strategic energy source and
should be actively developed to meet the country's growing demand.
The plan stresses that China should rely on self-innovation while ensuring
safety; and appropriately make use of foreign technology and resources .
China has six nuclear power stations with a capacity of 9 million kilowatts.
Nuclear power accounts for 2 per cent of total power generation capacity.
Sources at the China Atomic Information Network said that by 2020, the
country will increase nuclear power generation capacity to 40 million kilowatts,
or 4 per cent of the total.
To reach the target, each year the country has to build a nuclear power
station with a capacity of 1.8 million kilowatts, equivalent to that of the Daya
Bay Nuclear Power Station in Guangdong Province.
The blueprint said the development of nuclear power will also help the
country reach a balance among energy consumption, economic development and
environmental protection.
The State Council meeting also approved an urban planning (2005-20) scheme
for Tianjin Municipality in North China with the development of the port city's
Binhai New Area (BNA) as the focus.
The new area is already the most profitable economic zone in the country. IT
businesses there have notched up 12-per-cent profit margins, compared with an
average of 5 per cent in the country, according to the Tianjin municipal
government.
With an area of 2,270 square kilometres and a population of 1.4 million, BNA
is considered a growth engine for North China and is widely expected to match
the economic miracle achieved by Shanghai's Pudong New Area.
China Daily
(China Daily 03/24/2006 page1)