Nuclear energy ‘essential’ to meet China’s climate targets, top official says
The nation aims to supply as much of 20pc of its energy using renewable sources by 2030, but more atomic power plants needed to fill gaps, according to Xie Zhenhua
Nuclear energy is “essential” to meet mainland China’s 2030 climate targets, the nation’s top climate negotiator Xie Zhenhua told a news conference in Beijing on Wednesday.
But he said safety would be a priority, and the government was still considering when and where to launch inland nuclear projects.
“If we want to substantially reduce our dependence on coal and thermal power, renewable energies alone will not be able to account for as much as 20 per cent in total energy supply by 2030. We will definitely need nuclear energy,” Xie said.
We will definitely need nuclear energy
Non-fossil fuels accounted for 12 per cent of the mainland’s primary energy mix at the end of the year, exceeding an earlier target of 11.4 per cent, according to Xie.
As part of its climate targets, Beijing has said that a fifth of energy will be derived from non-fossil fuels by 2030.
“We’ve already relaunched coastal nuclear projects and are updating our technologies … but inland nuclear projects … may still need further research,” he said.
