BEIJING: China has approved the construction of 11 new nuclear reactors across five sites as part of its efforts to address rising emissions from fossil fuels, according to state media.
Premier Li Qiang led a State Council meeting on Monday that sanctioned the projects, Xinhua news agency reported.
China National Nuclear Power received the go-ahead for three reactors, while State Power Investment Corp secured approval for two units. Additionally, CGN Power Co, a subsidiary of China General Nuclear Power Corp, announced it had been authorized to build six reactors at three locations, according to a filing with the Hong Kong stock exchange.
These new reactors will be distributed across the provinces of Jiangsu, Guangdong, Shandong, Zhejiang, and Guangxi, as reported by China Energy News.
The total investment for these reactors is expected to surpass 220 billion yuan ($30.8 billion), with construction projected to take approximately five years, according to Jiemian, a state-controlled business news outlet.
With 56 reactors currently in operation, China’s nuclear power accounts for about five percent of its total electricity generation, as per the World Nuclear Association.
As the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, China faces scrutiny over its climate goals. Recent approvals for new coal-fired power plants have raised concerns about the country’s commitment to its targets of peaking emissions between 2026 and 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.
