|
China to Team with Russia, Japan, France for 4th gen Nukes
China, the world's second-biggest fuel user, is in talks with Russia and France on possible cooperation to build fourth-generation nuclear reactors as global demand for clean energy rises.China National Nuclear Corp. may cooperate with France on research, with Russia on engineering and construction and with Japan on safety technology, Xu Mi, chief engineer at the China Institute of Atomic Energy, spoke to Bloomberg in an interview in Beijing. China wants to build its own brand of atomic technology for export, Xu Yuming, vice secretary general of China Nuclear Energy Association, said today. The world's fastest-growing major economy is developing nuclear energy to cut reliance on more polluting coal and oil and meet domestic consumption. China's self-sufficiency in reactor design and construction and its emergence as an exporter of nuclear technology would increase competition for Areva SA and Electricite de France SA, Europe's biggest power producers. If China is doing 10 pressurized water reactors a year, there'll be a big economic incentive to do something better,' said Steve Kidd, head of strategy and research at World Nuclear Association, referring to China's foray into fourth-generation reactors. The technology could come earlier than people think, could be 2025.' State-owned China National Nuclear may start building two 800-megawatt experimental fast reactors around 2013 and operations may start before 2020, said Xu Mi. Fourth-generation technology reactors produce minimal radioactive waste and are fuel efficient. Posted by: Bobby 2010-05-21 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=297282 |