China’s total nuclear power generation capacity tops world rankings

China’s total nuclear power generation capacity, including units in operation, under construction and officially approved units, ranks first in the world, the Chinese Energy Research Society (CERS) said.

China has 58 million kilowatts of nuclear power units in operation and 55 million kilowatts officially approved or under construction, making its total capacity the highest in the world, said Shi Yubo, chairman of the CERS, during the Third Energy Development Conference. China’s High Quality Nuclear Power Plant held in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province, from Monday to Wednesday.

It is imperative to focus on forging new quality productive forces and promoting high-quality development in the nuclear energy sector, Shi said.

According to Huang Xuenong, a senior official at the National Energy Administration, China’s nuclear power generation reached 430 billion kilowatt-hours in 2023, accounting for more than 13% of its total clean energy generation, which amounted to about 3.1 trillion kilowatt hours.

The conference, organized by CERS and the China General Nuclear Power Group, attracted more than 1,200 representatives from government departments, research institutions, industrial associations and companies in the nuclear energy sector, who participated in discussions on prospective developments in the use of nuclear in medicine and energy.