By Qi Hui and Jing Yi
 
In 2009, China's completed investment on nuclear power infrastructure increased by 74.91 percent than that of last year, accordingly, China has become the country that has the largest scale of nuclear power construction in the world. In the context of transforming the development mode of economics, nuclear power has drawn more and more attentions due to its safety, cleanness and high efficiency.

"In recent years, China's energy demand has kept increasing. In order to meet the energy demand, especially since characters of nuclear power, such as safety, cleanness and high efficiency have been recognized, China's nuclear power industry has witnessed a rapid development." Introduced by Tang Zide, an expert of Committee of Experts of State Nuclear Power Technology Corp., Ltd. In 2009, China's completed investment on nuclear power infrastructure increased by 74.91 percent than that of last year, accordingly, China has become the country that has the largest scale of nuclear power construction in the world.

However, behind the rapid development, will the overheating phenomenon companion? For this, Tang Zide expressed that China has nailed down three-step development strategy on nuclear power. Currently, the effect is remarkable, especially in terms of the development of the third generation nuclear power in 2009, from pouring the first pot of concrete to construction and lifting modules, almost all of them are under scheduled steps.

What's more, China has made an overall plan and distribution on nuclear power, and conducted examination and approval system. When a project has been submitted, it can not be approved the government until the assessment on six aspects, for example, plant location, nuclear safety, environment and so on, was passed and no repeated construction appears.

"At present, it is in the important phase for the innovative development of nuclear power industry. To realize the improvement on both quantity and quality of nuclear power, what need to be done does not only involve technical innovation, but also involve further deepening nuclear power system reform, building up an independent development-based nuclear power industry and a united technical standard system, so as to improve the international competitive strength of China's nuclear industry." expressed by Tang Zide.

Referring to the practice of implementing independent strategy on China's third generation of nuclear power, Tang Zide expressed that, firstly, the independent development of nuclear power shall be expedited. It is of strategically signification to the national economy and the people's livelihood. To be a nuclear power king in the world, China must develop self-independent nuclear power technologies. Secondly, to expedite the independent development of nuclear power, systematic reform shall be deepened further. Thirdly, to introduce, digest, absorb and re-innovate the third generation of nuclear power technologies is a huge and complex project, which relates to various aspects, such as government, production, study and research. We shall grasp favorable opportunities, integrate industrial resources, prepare well on system as soon as possible, and ensure China's nuclear power industry can develop safely, orderly and soundly. Thirdly, for the systematic reform on nuclear power, we shall take the improvement of the whole industry's international competitive strength as the target. In the level of the government, what shall be done is to continuously perfect strategic guidance, control and safety supervising systems. In the level of the industry, what shall be done is to fasten the form of such an industrial system on nuclear power, that is, "definite specialty division, and prominent synergistic effect".

"According to the target, by the year of around 2017, China's nuclear power technical system will be established basically, and the development of nuclear power will truly step into a golden period." Tang Zide said with full confidence.

The government work report of this year pointed out that what shall be done is to vigorously develop low carbon technologies, promote high efficient energy-saving technologies, actively develop new energy and renewable energy, and reinforce the construction of intelligent power grid.

"In the new year, in accordance with the central government's thread of carrying through scientific outlook of development and expediting the transform of economic development mode, the energy industry shall take the expedition of the transform of development mode as the first work. The industry shall encircle the promise that China has made on Copenhagen Climate Change Conference to the world, focus on expediting the development of renewable energy and nuclear energy, expedite energy structural adjustment, eliminate laggard productivity, reinforce international cooperation, strengthen scientific and technical development on energy, and so on." Recently, Zhang Guobao, Director of National Energy Bureau told the reporter.

Tang Zide expressed that, currently, China's nuclear industry is in an important strategic opportunity period. China has officially issued Mid-and-long-run Development Plan on Nuclear Power, and the future development range of nuclear power is very huge. What's more, in the whole production chain, the carbon emission of nuclear power is almost zero, which is difficult to realize for other new energy resources. Therefore, nuclear power is an important selection in order to develop low carbon economy and new energy.

"Among those new energy resources, China's wind power has developed rapidest over the last few years. But during the development, many problems that cannot be solved with existing technologies have emerged, such as the stability, intermittence and high cost of power generation. But nuclear power can be developed economically, stably and safely with large scale and without regional restriction. Where is short of energy, a nuclear power station can be established there. At present, most of China's nuclear power stations are set up in coastal areas, but since this year, nuclear power station will be set up in China's inland areas successively. Presently, those applications that intending to set up nuclear power stations in Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi provinces have been approved." said Tang Zide.

Although China's nuclear power industry has witnessed remarkable development over the past 20 years, compared with international level, a large gap still exists. Currently, the proportion of China's nuclear power is less than 2 percent, while the average proportion of the international nuclear power is around 15 percent of the total power generation volume. China's nuclear power industry has a very huge space for development. Therefore, China has also reinforced the force and speed on developing nuclear power industry. As introduced by Zhang Guobao, currently, China has fixed on the expedition of developing nuclear power industry, but the speed will be controlled at "low initially and fast later", so as to lay a more solid and safe foundation. Last year, six reactors were approved for starting construction, and several extra ones are planned for approval in 2010.

At the National Energy Work Conference held at the beginning of this year, it has been definitely put forward that in 2010, China will actively promote nuclear power construction, research and adjust mid-and-long development plan on nuclear power, expedite the development of nuclear power in coastal areas, and vigorously promote nuclear power projects in China's inland areas. In the future ten years, China's nuclear power industry will show a rapid development trend. By 2020, the installed capacity of nuclear power is expected to reach 75 million KW. At that time, the proportion of the installed capacity of nuclear power will be improved from the current 2 percent to around 5 percent in the total installed capacity of power across China.