Of note though, China is taking big strides to be the world’s biggest nuclear power generator by 2030. For a little background, the latter state just recently approved plans to build ten new nuclear reactors. The central government has set aside a budget of 200 billion yuan, roughly $27.7 billion, for just this ambitious first phase. Strategically built across China’s coasts, these reactors will help the country rapidly scale up its clean-energy capacity.
The move to increase the production of nuclear power comes at a time when China is more determined than ever to cut carbon emissions and meet rising energy needs. Meanwhile, China is investing massively in their R&D capacity for nuclear technology. This strategy will double its nuclear power generation capacity, enabling it to surpass the United States by 2030. This milestone will help usher in a radically different renewable energy future. It will help consolidate and expand China’s status as the world’s nuclear energy manufacturing powerhouse.
The new reactors will play a major role in meeting the rapidly growing energy needs of China’s population. They will further help meet the needs of the state’s growing industries. Now that the country is greater than ever rapidly industrializing and urbanizing, the demand for abundant, reliable and increasingly clean energy sources is greater than ever. Nuclear power is an important part of the answer, delivering significant amounts of low-carbon energy around the clock that fossil fuels can’t match.
China’s strategy on lithium supply fits in with its larger domestic energy policy aims, which emphasize sustainable development and environmental protection. In investing in nuclear energy, the government aims to cut back on drinking from the fossil fuel well through coal and other non-renewable sources. Building the new reactors will create thousands of high-paying jobs. It will revitalize the local economies in those coastal communities where they are constructed.
Indeed, nuclear weapons experts have lauded China’s forward-leaning approach as it rushes to expand its nuclear capabilities. This in return delivers the domestic clean energy demands directly back to the hometowns and neighborhoods in which these needs cut across. Simultaneously, it establishes China as the world’s preeminent global leader in nuclear technology. The country is increasing its nuclear power generation capacity more than any other country. This increase has the potential to position it as a central actor in global discussions on energy security and climate change.