BEIJING, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- China is turning more towards nuclear power.
A recent announcement suggests that to meet its power needs there are plans to increase power capacity in the nuclear sector to 40,000 megawatts by 2020.
China, whose economy is growing at breakneck speed at 11.4 percent growth last year, believes energy from nuclear power would provide better reliability, state-run China Daily reported.
Eleven nuclear reactors with a total capacity of 8,000 megawatts are currently in operation in China, where nuclear power has become the third important source of power.
"China's nuclear power industry has experienced a transition from appropriate development to accelerated development," said Han Wenke, deputy director of the Energy Research Institute under the National Development and Reform Commission.
Nuclear power represents about 2 percent of total power in China, in contrast with the worldwide picture where it accounts for 16 percent to 17 percent of power generation.
All the nuclear plants now are located in coastal areas, but several inland regions have also said they are planning to build China's first inland nuclear power plant.
China signed an $11.6 billion agreement with France's Areva last year to supply two third-generation nuclear reactors. Construction of the two each with a capacity of 1,700 megawatts could begin in fall of 2009.
