Author:Zhang Huazhu

　　The year 2004 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China’s nuclear industry, and the 20th anniversary of China’s accession to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Peaceful uses of nuclear energy in China have gained robust development and achieved significant progress ever since the adoption of the policy of reform and opening-up.

　　I Present situation of peaceful uses of nuclear energy in China

　　Established in 1955, China’s nuclear industry blazed a development road that is suitable to the national situation and scored eye-catching achievement with comparatively low input. Focusing on nuclear power construction, China’s peaceful uses of nuclear energy has made rapid development with expanding scale and increasing level of science and technology since the 1980s, demonstrating a favorable development momentum.

　　The Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), China’s first ever NPP that was independently designed and constructed, was put into operation in 1991, representing the windup of the history of no nuclear power in China’s mainland. The Daya Bay NPP accomplished in 1994 was a successful example of international cooperation in constructing nuclear power plants. Since 1996, the Qinshan Phase II NPP independently designed, and the Lingao NPP, Qinshan Phase III, and Tianwan NPP of international cooperation were constructed. Altogether 9 nuclear power units have been in operation by July 2004, with a total installed capacity of 7010 MW. The Tianwan NPP in Jiangsu Province that is still under construction will be accomplished and put into operation in 2005, increasing the total installed capacity of nuclear power to 9130 MW.

　　The nuclear-generated electricity in the mainland of China accumulated to 43.8 GWH in 2003, of which 41.5GWH was connected to the power grid. In Zhejiang and Guangdong, the nuclear electricity surpassed 13% of the total provincial power generation. Nuclear power has become an important part in the local power-mix, and made significant contribution to promoting local social and economic development. The nuclear power units in operation are in fine safety conditions and the radiation of the surroundings of NPPs remains at the level of natural background.

　　After more than 20 years of development, China has fostered solid foundations and capabilities in nuclear power technology, including R&D, engineering design, equipment manufacture, engineering construction and operation management; and is capable of independently designing and constructing 300MW and 600MW PWR units and constructing 1000 MW PWR units through international cooperation.

　　Researches on nuclear science and technology are the guide and foundation of the development of nuclear industry. A complete R&D system of nuclear science including basic studies, application studies and engineering studies has been established in China, giving technological support to the uses of nuclear energy, nuclear fuel cycle and applications of nuclear technologies.

　　Many of China’s institutions of higher learning have departments specialized in atomic energy which have trained a lot of personnel for nuclear industry. Nuclear power plants and other institutions engaged in nuclear energy development attach much importance to in-service training and life-long education of their employees, and continuously improve their scientific and technological level and professional capabilities through regular training, examination and credentials verification for key posts.

　　While developing nuclear power, Chinaactively carries out studies on uses of nuclear energy in other forms. The high-temperature gas-cooled reactor reached full-power operation in early 2003, and the Chinese Experimental Fast Reactor is under construction. The low-temperature nuclear heating system has successfully completed engineering studies, and the desalination of seawater using nuclear energy is in the process of engineering research, bringing promising prospect for wide use of nuclear energy.

　　Driven by nuclear power construction, technological progress has been achieved in nuclear fuel cycle. Fabrication of NPP fuel assembly can be produced domestically; the spent fuel processing plant is under construction; two depositaries for medium and low radioactive wastes have been constructed and put into operation; and studies on in-depth geological disposal of radioactive solid wastes are progressing.

　　Isotopes and radiological technologies are widely applied in China in such sectors as health, industry, agriculture, environmental protection and public security. There were more than 300 institutions engaged in nuclear technology applications across the country by the end of 2003, with a general output of 40 billion yuan RMB.

　　Owing to special features of nuclear energy, the State practices strict management of the development of nuclear energy, and guides its development through regulations, administration according to law, macro adjustment and control, and policy support. The National Development and Reform Commission is responsible for the general planning of energy and examination and approval of major construction projects. The Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (China Atomic Energy Authority) is the competent authorities administering nuclear industry, responsible for formulating industrial regulations and policies, technological policies and development planning, and organizing and implementing scientific and technologicaldevelopment project related to nuclear energy. Authorized by the State Council, CAEA is in charge of international exchanges and cooperation concerning nuclear energy and participates in IAEA’s activities on behalf of the Chinese government.

　　China pays particular attention to nuclear safety. In the initial stage of nuclear energy development, China established a safety supervision and management system and nuclear safety standard in line with international practices through measures such as formulating regulations, establishing related institutions and defining responsibilities. The National Nuclear Safety Agency (NNSA) carries out independent safety supervision over the country’s civil nuclear facilities and examination of safety licenses of nuclear power plants and other civil nuclear facilities, and the follow-up supervision and examination. A three-level NPP nuclear accident emergency management system is in place, which consists of the national and local governments and nuclear facility operation entities, and has been in effective operation for more than a decade and made contributions to ensuring nuclear safety.

　　China highly emphasizes international cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Since her accession to IAEA in 1984, in particular, China has actively participated in and made due contributions to the international efforts in safeguards aiming at promoting peaceful uses of nuclear energy and preventing nuclear proliferation. China officially joined the Nuclear Suppliers Group this year and made submission to IAEA’s comprehensive safeguards the prerequisite of nuclear export, and won high commendation form the international community.  

　　II Development Prospect

　　Nuclear energy has to be developed rapidly to meet the requirements of economic development and growing demands on energy, and to realize harmonious development of the economy, society and ecological environment. China takes nuclear power as an integral part of the state’s energy strategy, and is increasing the proportion of nuclear energy in the total energy supply. In the coastal areas with developed economy and high demand on electricity, nuclear power will become an important pillar in their power-mix.

　　Under the guideline of “cooperating with international partners with China playing the major role, introducing technology and promoting localization”, China’s nuclear power construction takes unified technological line, adopts advanced technology, and continuously improves the safety level and economic performance of the reactor units, so that the self-reliance and localization of construction of large-scale nuclear power units can be achieved, and overall capabilities of nuclear power industry promoted.

　　China sticks to the principle of sustainable development in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and follows the line of “thermo-reactor – fast reactor – fusion reactor” in nuclear power development. While constructing a series of PWR NPPs using existent technologies, China is actively carrying out international cooperation to construct advanced PWR NPPs in time appropriate which will be the mainstay reactor type in China’s nuclear power development in the future.

　　China actively promotes the research and development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy and is exerting efforts to make new breakthroughs in such major projects as faster reactor for power generation, seawater desalination using nuclear energy, low-temperature reactor for heating, and high-temperature gas-cooled reactor for power generation and hydrogen production. These will become new industries when conditions are ripe.

　　A nuclear fuel cycle industry corresponding with nuclear power development will be established, reaching the international advanced level in technology and being competitive in economic performance. The nuclear fuel assemblies are produced domestically, utilizing domestic and foreign uranium resources. China practices closed nuclear fuel cycle. Plutonium is abstracted from spent fuel to make uranium-plutonium mixed fuel for NPPs, paving the way for the development of fast neutron reactors.

　　Disposal of radioactive wastes is an important component of nuclear fuel cycle. Proper treatment and disposal of radioactive wastes, especially the long-life and high-level radioactive wastes, has a direct bearing on safety of the public and the environment that human beings dwell in, as well as the sustainable development of national economy. Studies on treatment and geological disposal of radioactive wastes, and researches on separation of high-level radioactive waste liquid and transmutation help to minimize the difficulty in treatment and disposal of actinides and long-life fissile product, and reduce their effects on the public and mankind’s living environment.

　　Applications of isotopes and radiation technology have broad development prospect in China. Their output will increase at an annual rate of above 15% in the next 20 years. The industrial scope of applications of isotope and radiation technologies will exceed 100 billion yuan RMB in 2010.

　　The development prospect of peaceful uses of nuclear energy is quite promising in China. We are willing to carry out wide cooperation with other countries based on equality and mutual benefit, to further promote its development to better serve the economic and social development and bring benevolence to the people.