The future of nuclear seems to be seated in China. Over the past two decades, the country has been steadily building its nuclear capacity, increasing the number of operating plants from three to more than 40 in 2018, with an additional 18 under construction. Now, the country is the biggest platform in the world for nuclear power, making up more than half of new global nuclear investment and slated to overtake the US in nuclear power production sometime before 2030. So what does the future of nuclear power look like, and what will China’s dominance mean for the rest of the world? Power Technology investigates. This year’s World Nuclear Industry Status Report found that outside of China, global nuclear power generation declined for the third year in a row, with disasters such as Fukushima causing many nations to scale back on such a volatile power source. In contrast, China has been consistently favouring its development.
Power Technology 10th Oct 2018 read more »
The Trump administration will limit sales of US civil nuclear technology to China out of concerns that it is being diverted for military and other unauthorized purposes. “The United States cannot ignore the national security implications of China’s efforts to obtain nuclear technology outside of established processes of US-China civil nuclear cooperation,” Secretary of Energy Rick Perry said in a statement Thursday. The decision is the result of a broad government policy review led by the National Security Council and is driven by Beijing’s efforts to obtain advanced technology, nuclear material and equipment from US companies. “The administration concluded that a change in US civil nuclear cooperation with China is necessary to strike an appropriate balance between long-term risks to US national security and economic interests and the impact to the US nuclear industrial base,” an administration official told reporters Thursday. The review, which examined the economic and national security ramifications, was prompted by China’s efforts to gain US intellectual property, sometimes illicitly, in ways that undermine American businesses and the military, officials told reporters in a conference call.
CNN 11th Oct 2018 read more »
The United States said Thursday that it will increasingly restrict exports of civilian nuclear technology to China for fear it will be stolen for economic benefit or diverted to military use. “The United States cannot ignore the national security implications of China’s efforts to obtain nuclear technology outside of established processes of US-China civil nuclear cooperation,” Energy Secretary Rick Perry said in a statement.
Daily Mail 11th Oct 2018 read more »
Reuters 11th Oct 2018 read more »