Nuclear Power Gains Pace in Filling the Gap in New Energy (AI Translation)
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- China's nuclear power industry sees a resurgence, with stock prices of major companies rising significantly. The country has accelerated approvals for nuclear power units, planning to increase installed capacity to 70 million kilowatts by 2025 and potentially surpass the U.S. as the world leader by 2030.
- Nuclear power is being integrated into China's electricity market reforms, facing challenges like high auxiliary service costs due to its lack of flexibility compared to other energy sources. Regions are exploring mechanisms for nuclear power to compete in the market, aiming for a more efficient and competitive electricity system.
- Global interest in nuclear energy is growing as part of efforts to achieve clean energy transitions and reduce carbon emissions. China is advancing in fourth-generation nuclear technology with higher safety standards and exploring new applications beyond electricity generation, such as providing heat for industrial processes.
文｜财新周刊 赵煊 范若虹
By Caixin Weekly's Zhao Xuan, Fan Ruohong
In the persistently sluggish Chinese stock market, the share prices of the two leading listed companies in the nuclear power industry, China General Nuclear Power Corporation (003816.SZ) and China National Nuclear Corporation (601985.SH), have risen by more than 40% over the course of a year.
核电作为清洁电源，正在被市场重新认知。2011年日本福岛核事故重击全球核电产业，此后中国核电发展也一度停滞，曾连续三年“零核准”。但2022年以来，中国核电机组审批明显提速，两年核准了20台机组，单台机组造价约计200亿元，总投资高达约4000亿元，建设期五到六年。
Nuclear power, recognized as a clean energy source, is being reassessed by the market. The global nuclear industry was severely impacted by the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011, leading to a temporary halt in China's nuclear power development, which saw a three-year period of "zero approval." However, since 2022, the approval process for nuclear power units in China has significantly accelerated. In two years, 20 units have been approved with an estimated cost of about 20 billion yuan per unit, totaling an investment of approximately 400 billion yuan. The construction period for each unit is expected to be five to six years.
据中国核能行业协会统计，截至2023年底，中国正在运行的核电机组共55台，装机容量5703万千瓦，居全球第三，次于美国、法国；中国“十四五”规划的目标是，到2025年，将核电装机容量提升到7000万千瓦。据该协会发布的《中国核能发展报告（2023）》预计，中国在运核电装机规模有望在2030年前超过美国，成为世界第一。
According to statistics from the China Nuclear Energy Association, by the end of 2023, China had 55 operational nuclear power units with a total installed capacity of 57.03 million kilowatts, ranking third globally behind the United States and France. The "14th Five-Year Plan" of China sets a target to increase the nuclear power installed capacity to 70 million kilowatts by 2025. According to the "China Nuclear Energy Development Report (2023)" released by the association, it is expected that China's operational nuclear power installed capacity will surpass that of the United States before 2030, becoming the world's largest.
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