“The State will encourage and support the active and orderly participation of its companies in the international market” and encourage the export of nuclear equipment, fuel and services, according to the draft nuclear power bill, which was presented to the nuclear industry for consultation recently.
China aims to raise its total installed nuclear capacity to 58 gigawatts by the end of 2020 from 37 gigawatts at the end of June this year, but also has an ambition to dominate the global market and set up a kind of third-generation reactors called the “Hualong One” for sale abroad.
China has already signed a series of initial agreements with countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Uganda and Cambodia, and is also undergoing a technical approval process for Hualong One in Britain.
The government also published new guidelines last month aimed at promoting its own technical standards in foreign markets and playing a “leading role” in the process of standardizing global nuclear technology. But its only nuclear project abroad so far is a nuclear complex in Pakistan.
The draft new law sets out the government’s responsibilities when it comes to disclosing information on safety and the impact of nuclear energy on the environment. The draft also includes clauses calling for “compatibility” of military and civilian research in nuclear energy.
The draft calls for the establishment of a uranium reserve and a storage, transport and treatment system for spent fuel. Authorities are inviting people to submit their views on the law to the Ministry of Justice before 19 October.
