China's rapid economic growth requires a
source of energy to fuel it, which is why the country has to strive
to develop its nuclear power sector.
Nuclear power has remarkable advantages in
energy production efficiency. Through fission, the energy produced
by 1 kg of uranium-235 is equal to that produced by 2,700 tons of
coal. For a million-kw nuclear power plant, only 30 tons of nuclear
fuel is needed every year, while a thermal power plant of the same
capacity will need 3.3 million tons of coal. A nuclear power plant
only releases 1.6 percent of the carbon dioxide emitted by a
thermal power plant of the same scale. Also, nuclear power plants
do not emit sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides or dust, and nuclear
power is a cheap source of electricity. Most of China's 13 nuclear
power generators now offer electricity cheaper than local standard
prices.
China has given priority to saving energy and
reducing emissions in its 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15). By 2015
emissions of carbon dioxide will reduce by 17 percent compared to
2010, and emissions of sulfur dioxide will reduce by 8 percent; the
proportion of non-fossil fuels will be raised from 8.3 percent in
2010 to 11.4 percent. To achieve these goals, China must develop
clean energy.
The potential of hydropower in China is small,
while wind power, solar energy and other new energies are unlikely
to see rapid development due to technological bottlenecks and
natural conditions. In comparison, nuclear power can provide stable
and a large volume of power. It is also ahead of other new energy
technologies in stability, reliability and technical and industrial
maturity. Thus, developing nuclear power is clearly the best choice
for China to secure its power supplies.
Development of nuclear power should be based
on one thing: safety. After the Fukushima accident in March 2011,
China accelerated the pace of its nuclear power safety checks. But
compared with big nuclear power users such as the United States and
France, which have more than 50 years of experience in nuclear
power management, China is still a student. Therefore, China should
not only carry out safety checks, but also strengthen international
exchange and cooperation. Based on strict inspection, China needs
to formulate stricter regulation on nuclear power safety. All the
nuclear power plants that are currently in operation need to be
supervised strictly, and the technology standards of those under
construction need to be improved.
In the long term, the country should build a
stronger team of nuclear power professionals, adopt advanced
technologies and enhance safety measures to improve the safety and
reliability of nuclear power plants.
The history of the development of nuclear
power plants in the world proves that nuclear power is a
comparatively safe source of energy. China should not abandon
efforts of developing it.
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