Zhang Huazhu, Chairman of CAEA
March 21, 2005, Paris, France
Mr. President, Director General ElBaradei, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am glad to have the opportunity to meet friends of the nuclear energy sector from all over the world in the Conference on Nuclear Power for the 21st Century. I would like to, on behalf of the China Atomic Energy Authority, extend warm congratulation on the successful convening of the conference and appreciation to the French Industry Ministry for its meticulous arrangement.
The peaceful use of nuclear energy, one of the most significant achievements in the 20th century, has obtained its due important status in the world’s energy supply, after 50 years of development. Nuclear energy provides 16% of the world’s total electricity, and contributes greatly to social and economic development, promotion of people’s living standard and improvement of quality of environment.
The social and economic development in the 21st century demands continuous growth of the total volume of energy supply on the one hand, and requires expedited adjustment to energy mix on the other to effectively relieve harmful effects on the ecological environment. They are the two challenges the energy industries are facing with in the new century. In such circumstances, an objective evaluation of nuclear energy and its role in the energy development and application in the future have become the focus of the nuclear energy sector across the world. It is of great significance that people of the nuclear energy sector gathered here in this conference with a theme of Nuclear Power for the 21st Century to exchange information, discuss issues of common interest and share experience. This conference will play an important role in further promoting the development and application of nuclear energy.
China, the largest developing country in the world, has achieved rapid economic growth and steady social progress since the policy of reform and opening was adopted. The Chinese Government takes maintaining sustained moderate high growth rate of the economy and continuous improvement of people’s living standard its strategic target in next 15 years. China’s GDP will quadruple that of 2000 by 2020, and the output of energy will increase considerably in correspondence. China’s consumption of primary energy in 2004 was about 1.8 billion tons of standard coal, and the total installed capacity of power generation reached 440 GWe with a total electricity output of 21.87 TKWe·h. If the goal of social economic development to 2020 is obtained, the energy production shall double that of the year 2000. According to the strategic energy study, China’s annual consumption of primary energy will be around 3 billion tons of standard coal, and the installed capacity of power generation will reach 900 GWe by 2020. China has become a big energy producer and consumer.
Determined by the country’s resources structure, coal has been, and will continue to be the major energy used in China. Coal thermal power plants are producing increasing harmful effects on ecological environment, which has caught high attention of the Chinese Government and the public. An energy mix over-dependent on coal does not bring the advantage of rational uses of resources, and places a heavy burden on transportation. Economizing energy and optimizing energy mix have become the key of China’s energy development strategy in the new century. In the future development of energy, a series of policies and measures will be implemented, including giving equal emphasis to construction and economization with economization taking the precedence; optimizing electricity structure, speeding up the development of hydropower, actively promoting nuclear power and encouraging development of new energy.
Nuclear power has been taken into the national electricity development planning as an integral component of China’s national energy strategy. The portion of nuclear in energy supply will progressively increase through phased development. Nuclear power will become an important pillar in the power supply of the coastal area where economy is developed and demand on electricity high. According to preliminary plan, the installed capacity of nuclear power will reach 36-40GW, accounting for about 4% of the total of the country. Nuclear power is going to play a more important role in China’s power generation in years to come. And developing nuclear power is an important step toward optimizing energy mix, protecting the environment and achieving sustainable development.
The objective of nuclear power development plan the Chinese Government defined is positive and practicable. With 50 years of development, a fairly complete nuclear industrial system has been formed in China, ranging from geological prospecting, uranium ore mining and metallurgy, uranium conversion and separation, fuel element fabrication to reprocessing. Substantial technology progress was achieved in major links of nuclear fuel cycle in the last more than 20 years, in particular, driven by nuclear power construction. Fabrication of NPP fuel assembly has been completely localized. Pilot project of spent fuel reprocessing moves on smoothly. Waste management facilities were put into operation, disposal of medium and low level radioactive waste are in industrial use, and studies on deep geological disposal of radioactive solid waste are in positive progress. Capabilities for nuclear basic studies and application studies have been strengthened comprehensively, which provided conditions of R&D capability and industrial infrastructure for accelerated development of nuclear power.
China has accumulated fairly rich experience in nuclear power construction. There are so far 9 nuclear power units in operation in the mainland of China, and another 2 are going to be put into use. The units in operation are in good safety conditions with management level and operation record improving continuously. At the meanwhile, teams of engineers and management personnel with rich practical experience have been cultivated in the R&D of nuclear power technology, engineering design, equipment manufacture, construction and operation management. We are now able to independently design, construct and operate 300MW and 600MW PWR units, and construct 1000 MW PWR units with our own efforts combined with introduced technology. Difficulties caused by technologies and management methods coming from different sources have been overcome in the process of construction. A nuclear power development is taking shape that absorbed advanced experience of other countries and is in conformity with China’s national situation. In nuclear power construction in the future, we will continue to depend mainly on our own efforts while carrying out international cooperation to introduce advanced and proven nuclear power technology, and actively promote self-reliance in designing and localization in equipment manufacture, to attain the planned objective. The research and technology development in the nuclear energy sector is going to be strengthened. Through combining the self-reliant R&D work and introduced technologies, capabilities will be established to independently construct G-2 improved PWR by 2010 and G-3 PWR thereafter. Nuclear power construction in China will move toward standardization and serialization. At the meanwhile, we will continue bilateral and multilateral cooperation; follow closely or participate in the research and development of the next generation advanced nuclear power technology to get ready for applying latest technology in the future; and actively take part in the international program of ITER to explore technology for fusion energy application.
Mr. Chairman, the Chinese Government has always paid great attention to the issue of safety in nuclear energy development and stick to the principle of “quality and safety come first”. With years of efforts, the nuclear safety regulation system and supervision and management system have been set up in China. The Chinese Government issued the Regulations on Safety Supervision and Management of Civil Nuclear Facilities and the Regulations on NPP Nuclear Accidents Emergency Management in the last two decades. Based upon these regulations, related government departments issued a series of rules, guidance, standards and technological documents in compliance with international practice. An independent nuclear safety regulatory institution was established in the early days of nuclear power development in China to carry out independent supervision on safety of civil nuclear facilities. It takes safety licensing management throughout the whole process from siting, design, construction to operation of NPPs and other civil nuclear facilities. The rigid, effective and independent supervision of the regulatory institution ensured the construction quality and safety conditions of nuclear facilities that have maintained a good record of operation safety.
Human resources are an important factor supporting the healthy and sustainable development of nuclear energy. In the whole world, however, lack of sufficient human resources has become one of the key factors restraining further development of nuclear energy. The Chinese Government has always paid great attention to the training and use of personnel for nuclear energy since the 1950s. A university education system including undergraduate basic science education and graduate education and a vocational training system combining on-job training and school training have been established. At present, there are more than a dozen universities in China with nuclear-related speciality which provide hundreds of graduates to nuclear energy R&D institutions and enterprises every year. Enterprises also train their staff through practice, training on contract with universities and regular training. China’s authorities for higher learning are making plans of strengthening or building nuclear energy speciality and expanding enrollment to meet the human resources requirement in the process of nuclear power development. And enterprises are devoting more efforts in training and recruiting to expand human resources reserve.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
China’s nuclear power has gone through more than 20 years of development. In the new century, the Chinese Government made a decision to positively promote the development of nuclear power, which is the requirement of the harmonious development of economy, society and ecological environment and the demand of sustainable development. China will, as always, actively participate in international discussions on the role of nuclear energy in sustainable development and the status of nuclear energy in energy development in the 21st century, which can enhance communications, understanding and consensus. The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that has caught world-wide attention came into effect recently, representing an important step in human society’s response to climate changes. We are glad to see the progress of the international community’s joint efforts in relieving climate changes and will make due contribution to further achievement.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Nuclear energy played an important and irreplaceable role in the global economic prosperity and social development in the past half a century. It is foreseeable that in the new century, nuclear energy will continue playing its role and make further contribution to the sustainable development of human society.
Thank you.