FALCON POWERS – China has approved the construction of 11 new nuclear reactors at five locations, according to state media, as the country continues its efforts to curb emissions from fossil fuels.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang chaired an executive meeting of the State Council on Monday that gave the green light to the projects, according to the Xinhua news agency. The state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation has received approval for three reactors, according to a WeChat statement, while the State Power Investment Corporation said it has been approved to build two units.
CGN Power Co, a listed unit of China General Nuclear Power Group, said in a stock exchange filing it has received approvals for six reactors at three sites.
China currently has 56 reactors in operation, contributing around 5% of the country’s total power generation, according to state-run China Energy News Network.
The state-owned financial news platform Jiemian estimated that the total investment for all 11 reactors is expected to exceed 220 billion yuan ($30.8 billion), with construction taking around five years.
China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, which are the main driver of climate change.
The recent surge in approvals for coal-fired power plants has raised concerns about China’s backsliding on its goals to peak emissions between 2026-2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
