China -nuclear technology

China- nuclear technology

Main land china has 13 nuclear power projects  in operation  25 under construction and more about to start construction soon.  Additional  reactors are planed ,including some of the world most advanced to give more than tenfold increase in nuclear power capacity to 80 G We by 2020 and 200 G We by 2030 and 400 G We by 2050.

china is rapidly  becoming self sufficient in reactor design and construction as well as other aspects of fuel cycle .

Technology  has been drawn from France, Canada and Russia with local development based ,largely French element from Areva. The latest  technology acquisition has been from U.S. ( VIA  Westing House owned by Japan’s Toshiba) and France. The Westing House AP 1000 is the  main basis of technology development in immediate future.

Concerning technology PWR are expected to level off at 200 G We  about 2040 and fast reactors progressively increase from 2020 to at least 200 GW by 2050 and 1400 GW BY 2100 . 

In September 2010 China daily reported that China National nuclear corporation (CNNC) alone plan to invest CNY 800 billion ( 120 billion dollars ) into nuclear energy projects by  2020. Total investment in nuclear energy projects in which CNNC will hold controlling stakes , will reach CNY 500 billion ( 75 million dollars ) by 2015 according to CNNC. In order to fund the expansion targets CNNC nuclear power co Limited 2011 to attract strategic investors.

Although China intends to become self sufficient in most aspects of fuel cycle it relies increasingly on imported uranium as well as conversion, enrichment and fabrication of  services from other countries.

Domestic  uranium mining currently supplies one -half of China’s nuclear fuel needs. Exploration and plans of new mines have increased significantly since 2000, but state owned enterprises have also entered into agreements to acquire uranium resources internationally.

China two major enrichment plants were built under agreements with Russia  in 1990 s, and under 2008 agreement,  Russia will help build additional capacity and also supply low -enrich uranium to meet future needs.

uranium resources and mining

China’ s  known uranium resources 1000,00 uranium tons are inadequate for country needs. Production  840 tons / year including that heap leach operations at several mines in Xingjian region -supplies enough for  about 4000 M We. By international standards China ore are low grade and production has been inefficient.

Increasingly  , uranium is imported from Kazakhstan, Namibia , Niger and most recently from Australia with other sources progressively added.  

China claims break though in nuclear technology

China has claimed  a break though in extracting uranium and plutonium from unspent fuel, saying this would enable country to run its nuclear power plants for three thousand years with existing uranium resources.

After decades of research , china  has made a break though in extracting uranium and plutonium, from spent fuel state run CCTV announced on Monday. It said china plan to set up  60 new nuclear power reactors mostly  1000 M.W. or more  and have nuclear power productivity of around 75 million kilo watt by 2020.

Under the current nuclear power technology only three to four per cent of nuclear fuel can be used. But spent fuel possess much more power and generates new nuclear material during its burn up, but is a bonded after its initial  use.

The new technology will make nuclear materials 60 times more efficient it said. By using the new technology, uranium materials detected in china could fuel the country’s ‘nuclear power plants for up to three-thousand years. Currently they can only fuel plants from 50-70 years the report said.

It was regarded as a significant break though as china which has 13 nuclear power plants rapidly expanding nuclear power base with 23 more mega  plants under construction.

China is also committed to build three more nuclear power plants to Pakistan including a giant Giga Watt. Reactor.

China in the past relied mostly on U.S., European and Japanese companies to build nuclear power plants last couple years more indigenous companies acquired the know how technology to build the mega projects. 

Besides  this China also constructing 23 machine sets to harness nuclear power , the largest among the 57 such sets in world.

Recent report said china is already stockpiling big quantities of uranium to meet future demand. China currently produces around 750 tons uranium  per year. The demand supply gap of uranium is expected to exceed  10,000 tons by 2015 and reach nearly 30,000 tons by 2030 according to local experts.

China is likely to double its uranium purchases to around 5000 MT to build stock piles for new reactors, according to Thomas Neft  a physicist and uranium industry analyst at Massachusetts institute of technology in Cambridge.

Also china uranium development co. limited last year acquired a majority stake in Australian miner energy metals ltd , which has access to large quantity of uranium resources.

Uranium prices have been framed up due to surge in demand and dwindling global proven resources. Add to this also the long gestation time for successfully mining uranium from new finds.