Chinese Premier Wen
Jiabao said that China's nuclear power construction has entered
a crucial stage, when he inspected Dayawan Nuclear Power Plant in
south China's Guangdong
Province recently.
Wen said relevant government departments should establish an
overall plan for their construction, nailing down the scale and
layout of nuclear power projects.
"China should build up a self-reliant nuclear power industry
system," Wen said.
He said that it is necessary to introduce advanced technology
from overseas to improve China's own atomic energy research and
development capacity.
He said all nuclear power projects should be constructed in the
principle of putting security and quality first. Relevant
regulations and system should be improved and nuclear accident
emergency system should be built as soon as possible.
The year 2005 was the 50th anniversary of China's foundation of
nuclear power industry. Wen said that he sincerely appreciated
those working at the front-line of the country's nuclear power
industry.
With Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) starting operation in
1991, there have been 9 nuclear power plants in operation in China
by July 2004, whose total capacity reached 7.01 million
kilowatts.
As an important shift in the country's energy development
strategy, China is taking steps to increase the proportion of
nuclear power in its overall energy supply and make it an important
element of energy development in future.
China will generate 36 million kw of nuclear electricity in
2020, accounting for more than 4 percent of its total installed
power generating capacity, a Chinese top official in atomic energy
said a few months ago.
(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2005)