China
Interactive
Map of Reactors
Built or Under Construction
Chinese Nuclear Industry Timeline
Outlook
Reactor
Summaries
|
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 7 th, 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
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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
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2004
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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 1 st, 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 30 th. |
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
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EIA projects (reference case scenario) that China's
nuclear electricity consumption will rise to 129 billion kwhr, doubling the level in 2010.. |
2020
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EIA projects that by 2020, China's nuclear electricity consumption 8 (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. |
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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
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