Prospects for nuclear power development in China

In view of the need to support and sustain rapid economic growth in the next 30 years, energy demand in China will increase significantly. Large energy deficiencies will exist owing to the various restrictions on the production of primary energy, i.e. from coal, oil, natural gas and hydro. Developing nuclear power appears to be a way to solve the problem. The paper presents a comparative economic analysis between nuclear and coal fired power plants. By considering the overall energy production cycle, the investment costs of the two types of plant are forecast. The analysis reveals that nuclear power will play an important role in tackling the energy shortage problem in China and show that it will become increasingly competitive in economic terms vis-a-vis coal fired power plant in the energy constrained coastal regions. (author). 6 tabs