China National Nuclear Power Corporation will soon commence commercial operations of the world's first Westinghouse-designed nuclear technology aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change. The initiative positioned China as one of world's initiator of the safe and civil use of nuclear science and technology.
The technology underwent 168-hour test run on Sept. 21 and the government expects it will be of commercial use in the days to follow. Shares of the Shanghai-listed enterprise climbed 2.2 percent after the announcement.
The AP1000 nuclear power facility is located at the Sanmen power plant which boasted of nuclear safety record level that is internationally advanced. No nuclear safety incident above level 2 happened in the nearly 60 years of its operation.
China is among the few countries in the world that are pushing for innovation of nuclear reactors for the technology to be used in mitigating the effects of climate change.
Jianfeng Yu, chairman of the board of the China National Nuclear Corporation, said the country believed that nuclear power is a form of green energy with almost zero emission compared to renewable energy. Nuclear power is also more stable and less affected by unforeseeable meteorological circumstances, Yu said during the scientific forums facilitated by the International Atomic Energy Agency on Sept. 18.
With an ultimate goal of addressing climate change, China has doubled its effort of building nuclear power facilities in five years, Yu said. To date, the country has 13 facilities under construction and all programs have already demonstrated positive environmental impact. The country has also accounted for a quarter of all nuclear facility constructions on a global scale, Yu highlighted.
Yu has called for international scientists to promote the safety, economic viability, and public acceptance of nuclear energy.
Indeed, Yu's thoughts were echoed by IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano. In his opening remark during the forum, Amano said nuclear power can mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. The overall nuclear science and technology, meanwhile, can help countries monitor the impacts of climate change as it happens. He said countries need to promote the benefits of low-carbon electricity, including nuclear energy, so the world can reach its climate change goals by 2050.
China's commercial launch of its Westinghouse-designed AP1000 nuclear technology is a milestone for China's nuclear power industry, Snowy Yao, an analyst with China Securities International Finance Holding, told Bloomberg. The commercial operation positioned China as one of the world's leader in the civil use of nuclear power industry, Yao underscored.
Bloomberg reported that China is also developing nuclear technology designed by Electricite de France SA which is expected to launch commercially in the months to come.
