The photo is sourced from CGN
All four power units belong to the category of light water moderated reactors (VVER type), in which regular water s used both for neutron moderation (to control the nuclear reaction), and as a coolant. The net capacity of each reactor will be 1,116 MW, which is compatible with the similar indicator for any of the four power units of Akkuyu NPP (1,114 MW), the first nuclear power plant in Turkey.
Implementation of these projects will improve the positions of the PRC as a global leader from the standpoint of the pace of nuclear energy development. According to IAEA, by the beginning of 2024, 23 power units with the total net capacity 23.7 GW were under construction in the country. From this standpoint, China is significantly ahead of all other countries including India, where 8 power units for total 6.0 GW were under construction, Turkey (4 power units for total 4.5 GW), South Korea (3 power units for total 4.0 GW) and Egypt (3 power units for total 3.3 GW). The commissioning of the above-listed power units will allow China to become the second country in the world from the standpoint of the number and total capacity of operating reactors, outstripping France accounting today for 56 reactors of total 61.4 GW (compare with 55 reactors of total 53.2 GW currently operating in China).
For the China nuclear power plants constitute the fifth biggest source of energy. Their share in total generation in China grew from 2.0% up to 4.7% between 2012 and 2022, while as the share of coal-fired generation decreased from 75% down to 61% respectively, according to Ember research centre. The share of hydropower plants during the same period decreased from 17% to 15%, while as the total share of wind and solar generation grew from 2% up to 13%.
The development of low-carbon energy allowed China to decrease the energy intensity of its GDP: in 2012, China had 8.4 MJ of primary energy per each dollar of its GDP, while as in 2020 – 6.4 MJ (when calculating specific energy consumption, the GDP was accounted for based on the purchasing power parity nominate in US Dollars of 2017).
