China expands nuclear power capacity

China has experienced remarkable growth in nuclear power capacity and electricity output since 2012 while maintaining a notably strong record in nuclear and radiation safety, according to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

Addressing an event on nuclear safety in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Friday, Dong Baotong, vice-minister of ecology and environment, noted that with the number of operational nuclear power units quadrupling, the country’s nuclear power capacity and electricity output last year stood at about five times that of 2012.

The event was held ahead of National Security Education Day, observed annually on April 15 to raise public awareness on national security issues and encourage greater civic involvement in safeguarding the country.

“Nuclear technology has also been widely applied in industries, healthcare, agriculture, national security, environmental protection, and other fields, playing an irreplaceable and significant role in economic and social development as well as in ensuring public well-being,” he said.

Dong, who is also the head of the National Nuclear Safety Administration, highlighted China’s performance in maintaining nuclear and radiation safety.

In 2025, an Integrated Regulatory Review Service team from the International Atomic Energy Agency conducted a 12-day mission in China, which covered a full-scope review of all nuclear facilities, activities, and exposure situations in the country.

Multiple Chinese practices were identified as good practices and shared worldwide during the review and the country’s compliance with international nuclear safety conventions, Dong said.

“The safety performance of China’s operational nuclear power units has consistently remained at world-leading levels,” he said.

Currently, China’s nuclear energy is at the key stage of large-scale development, with the world’s largest number of nuclear power units under construction, he said.

Against this backdrop, Dong underscored nuclear safety as the lifeline of the nuclear industry, saying it’s an issue of paramount importance that concerns people’s lives and health, environmental protection, national security, and the industry’s development.

He pledged consistent efforts from the ministry to promote the establishment of a stringent safety responsibility system and strengthen technological empowerment to continuously identify and eliminate risks and hidden dangers to ensure high-level nuclear safety.

Li Xiaomeng, deputy director of China Nuclear Power Development Center, stressed the vast potential in China’s nuclear power development in the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, during which China’s energy and electricity consumption is expected to maintain a steady growth trend.

“The strategic value of nuclear power in building a new energy system and a new power system is becoming increasingly prominent,” he said.

Li emphasized that, adhering to the policy of active, safe, and orderly development, China will strive to balance development and safety as it embraces a favorable period of sustained and stable development for nuclear power. HOU LIQIANG, Shenzhen, MDT/China Daily