In 2023, China's nuclear power generation will rank second in the world.

A reporter from China Energy News learned at the China Nuclear Energy Industry Association's 2024 Spring International Forum on Nuclear Energy Sustainable Development on April 15 that as of now, China has a total of 55 commercial nuclear power units, with a total installed capacity of 57.03 million kilowatts, ranking third in the world; There are 38 nuclear power units under construction and approved, with a total installed capacity of 44.8 million kilowatts.

“ In 2023, China's nuclear power unit power generation will be 433.4 billion kilowatt hours, ranking second in the world, accounting for 4.86% of the country's power generation, accounting for only 50% of the current global average, and the annual equivalent carbon dioxide emission reduction will be approximately 340 million tons. 。” 中国核能行业协会副理事长兼秘书长张廷克介绍，中国核电发展始终坚持“安全第一”方针，核电生产运行保持良好安全业绩。从未发生国际核事件分级（INES）二级及以上的运行事件。“与世界主要核电国家相比，2023年中国核电机组的WANO综合指数满分比例和综合指数平均值均高于美国、俄罗斯、法国、韩国等主要核电国家。”

In response to the opportunities for the development of nuclear energy around the world and in China, Zhang Tingke said that the important role of nuclear energy in addressing climate change and ensuring energy supply security has formed a broad consensus in the international community."Global nuclear energy development has entered a new period of strategic opportunities."

Zhang Tingke pointed out that the assessment report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change pointed out that after considering uranium mining and smelting and nuclear power plant decommissioning, nuclear energy is still one of the power generation technologies with the lowest carbon emissions throughout the life cycle. The "Collection of Greenhouse Gas Emission Factors for the Whole Life Cycle of Manufactured Products in China (2022)" shows that the carbon dioxide emission equivalent of nuclear power throughout the life cycle (including spent fuel reprocessing and waste disposal) is only about 12.2 g/kWh, which is basically the same as hydropower and lower than wind power and photovoltaic. "At the same time, nuclear fuel has a high energy density, is easy to be stored for a long time on a large scale, and has similar properties to quasi-local energy. The development of nuclear energy will help improve countries 'energy security capabilities."

"Recently, in order to further strengthen climate goals and ensure their own energy security, most major economies in the world have clearly proposed actively developing nuclear energy." Zhang Tingke said that combined with the latest research results of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), under the carbon neutrality scenario, comprehensive judgment shows that global nuclear power installed capacity will increase from the current 370 million kilowatts in 2030 and 2050 respectively. About 500 million, 1 billion kilowatts."

Currently, China is accelerating the construction of a new power system. Nuclear power is an important basic supporting power source for the safe and stable operation of the new power system. "On the one hand, nuclear power has a high availability rate and is suitable for bearing the basic load and load tracking of the power grid. It can effectively replace coal power with the same capacity and provide support for the consumption of new energy sources such as wind power and solar power generation; On the other hand, nuclear power can provide the moment of inertia necessary for the safe and stable operation of the power system, improve the damping of the power system, strengthen the system's ability to recover after disturbances, especially in extreme weather conditions or accident situations, and improve power system risk response capabilities." Zhang Tingke pointed out.

A reporter from China Energy News learned at the meeting that based on the research conclusions of the China Nuclear Energy Industry Association and related institutions, in order to achieve the goal of carbon peak and carbon neutrality, it is estimated that by 2035, nuclear power generation will account for the proportion of China's power structure. It will reach about 10%, which is equivalent to the current global average, and correspondingly reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 900 million tons; by 2060, nuclear power generation will need to account for about 18%, which is equivalent to the current average level of OECD countries.

In addition, many places in China are actively expanding the multi-purpose use of nuclear energy to provide new solutions for low-carbon economic and social transformation. "According to the preliminary research results of the association, it is estimated that by 2030 and 2060, the scale of nuclear energy heating is expected to reach 150 million and 1.5 billion square meters; nuclear energy has good market space in achieving comprehensive utilization of green and low-carbon heating, steam supply, seawater desalination, hydrogen production, etc." Zhang Tingke introduced.

According to a reporter from China Energy News, at present, China's independent third-generation nuclear power technology has reached the international advanced level, and the research and development and demonstration of advanced nuclear energy technology have achieved significant results. Autonomous third-generation pressurized water reactors "Hualong-1" and "Guohe-1" have been formed."Chinese manufacturing brands, advanced nuclear power technologies such as high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, fast reactors, and small modular reactors with four-generation characteristics.

"At present, the autonomous third-generation nuclear power technology has fully entered the stage of batch construction. Five units of 'Hualong-1' have been put into commercial operation at home and abroad, and a total of 13 units are under construction. The national major science and technology special high-temperature gas-cooled reactor demonstration project has been put into commercial operation by the end of 2023, and the construction of the 'Guohe-1' demonstration project is steadily advancing." Zhang Tingke introduced,"In terms of small reactors, the main structure of the world's first onshore commercial small modular reactor 'Linglong-1' reactor building has been fully constructed and is expected to be completed and put into operation in 2026; swimming pool reactor, low-temperature heating reactor, integrated heating reactor and other small reactors have been carried out in R & D and design."

In addition, the construction of a 600,000-kilowatt Chinese demonstration fast reactor is progressing in an orderly manner, and a more advanced million-kilowatt integrated closed-cycle fast reactor nuclear energy system loaded with metal mixed fuels and using dry spent fuel processing technology is being developed. At the same time, the world's first fully superconducting large-scale tokamak device, the Oriental Superring, set a new world record for high-confinement mode operation, and the China Circulation-3 achieved high-confinement mode operation under a plasma current of 1 million amps.

"The support capabilities of the nuclear energy industry chain have been comprehensively improved, and the autonomy of nuclear power equipment and the level of manufacturing in China have steadily improved." For example, Zhang Tingke said that China has currently built a nuclear fuel component processing and supply capacity covering various reactor types such as pressurized water reactors, heavy water reactors, and high temperature gas-cooled reactors, forming a million-kilowatt pressurized water reactor main equipment manufacturing capacity of about 10 units/sets per year, and the comprehensive manufacturing rate of independent third-generation nuclear power in China has reached more than 90%. "The construction scale and safety, quality, progress, and cost control capabilities of nuclear power projects maintain the international advanced level, and it has the engineering construction capability to build more than 40 nuclear power units at the same time."