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Timeline of the Chinese Nuclear Industry, 1970 to 2020                                          


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Timeline of the Chinese Nuclear Industry, 1970 to 2020
1970

Premier Zhou Enlai delivers a speech emphasizing the necessity for exploring the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

1972
On February 21, 1972, President Nixon shakes hands with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, the first face-to-face meeting between the heads of state of the two nations.
1978

According to the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) fact book,1 "in late 1978, the Chinese leadership began moving the economy from a sluggish Soviet-style centrally planned economy to a more market-oriented system."

1981

In November, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency,2 a proposal is submitted to build a pressurized light water reactor (PWR) at Haiyan in Zhejiang province.

1985

In February, the Guangdong Electric Power Company and Hong Kong’s China Light and Power Company established a joint venture to construct two PWRs at Daya Bay.3 As is the case with Qinshan 1, Daya Bay 1 and Daya Bay 2 are PWRs.

1991
In December, China's first commercial nuclear reactor (Qinshan 1) is connected to the grid.
1993
In August, China's second commercial nuclear reactor (Daya Bay 1) is connected to the grid.
1994
On February 7th, Daya Bay was connected to the grid.
2000
"In 2000, with its 1.26 billion people but a GDP of just $3,600 per capita, China stood as the second largest economy in the world after the U.S. (measured on a purchasing power parity basis)."4

On June 13, Chasnupp 1, the first Chinese reactor to be built outside China is connected to the grid in Pakistan.
2001

China's nuclear industry set a new national record, generating 16.68 terawatthours of electricity in 2001. In the same year, electricity consumption grew by 9 percent.5

Also in 2001, the first Qinshan reactor passed its ten-year safety evaluation.6

2002

The Qinshan 2-A reactor entered commercial service on February 6th. On February 26th, Ling'ao 1 was connected to the grid. On November 19th, Qinshan 3-A went on line. Ling'ao 2 was connected to the grid in the last month of the year, on December 15th.

2003
Qinshan 3-B came on line in the Spring, June 12th.
2004
In January, China’s Peoples Daily reported that the National Development and Reform Commission plans to increase capacity to 36 million kilowatts by the end of 2004, and add at least 2 more reactors per year for the next 16 years On March 1st, Qinshan 2-B was connected to the grid. Tianwan 1 (Lianyungang), the first Russian-designed commercial reactor to be built in China is scheduled to go on line on May 30th.
2005
If all goes according to plan, Tianwan 2 (Lianyungang) , the last of the Chinese reactors currently under construction, will go on line. The completion of Tianwan 2 (Lianyungang) will mean that China will have built 8 reactors in the first half-decade of the new century. By comparison, EIA and other forecasts do not anticipate any new reactors coming on line in the United States prior to 2010.
2010
EIA projects that China's nuclear energy consumption will quadruple, rising from 16 billion kilowatthours(kwhr) in 2000 to 66 billion kwhrs in 2010(reference case scenario). 7 Outlook.
2015
EIA projects (reference case scenario) that China's nuclear electricity consumption will rise to 129 billion kwhr, doubling the level in 2010..
2020
EIA projects that by 2020, China's nuclear electricity consumption8 (reference case scenario) will climb to 142 billion Kwhr, passing that of Canada (118 billion Kwhr) and Russia (129 billion Kwhr)9. If EIA projections turn out to be accurate, however, the rapid growth of China's nuclear industry will do little to offset the anticipated phenomenal growth in electricity demand or carbon emissions.


1 Central Intelligence Agency, Fact Book, available on-line at: http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ch.html.

2 International Atomic Energy Agency, Country Nuclear Power Profiles, "People's Republic of China," page 195, Vienna, Austria, March 2002.

3 Ibid, page 196.

4CIA Fact Book.

5 NucNet, April 15, 2002.

6 U.S. Embassy, "Beijing Environment, Science, and Technology Update," on-line: http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/english/sandt/estnews122801.htm, December 28, 2001, Beijing, China.

7 Energy Information Administration, International Energy Outlook, page 194.

8 Ibid

9 Ibid