by Zhang Huazhu, Chairman, China Atomic Energy Authority
October 22, 2002, Shenzhen

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today witnessed the opening of the 13th Pacific Basin Nuclear Conference. At the outset, I would like to, on behalf of the China Atomic Energy Authority, extend warm congratulations on the successful opening of the conference and cordial welcome to representatives from various sectors.

The nuclear science and technology development and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy are one of the greatest achievements of the mankind in the 20th century. They have got into various spheres of our life including energy, industry, agriculture, medicine, environmental protection and resources, making positive contribution to improving people’s life quality and standards in all countries. The progress and development of nuclear technology, from uses of fission energy to the development of fusion energy, shoulders mankind’s hope for the future and will be the main final solution to global sustainable development. The Pacific region has done outstanding contribution to the development of nuclear science and technology and remains the most active in peaceful uses of nuclear energy in the whole world.

It is the second time that the Pacific Basin Nuclear Conference was held in China, this time in its beautiful coastal city Shenzhen, 15 years after the successful 6th session in September 1987 in Beijing. It is of immense significance for the scientists, entrepreneurs, government officers and representatives of international organizations to gather here for discussion about technology development and international cooperation concerning peaceful uses of nuclear energy. I am convinced that this conference will surely helps push forward the peaceful uses of nuclear energy in this region and even the whole world.

I would like to take this opportunity to brief you on the present and future development of nuclear energy in China.

1. The Present Situation of Nuclear Energy Development in China

The Chinese nuclear industry embarked on a new road of development, and nuclear power development and nuclear technology application became the key orientation of the nuclear industry conversion in the early 1980s when the country introduced the policy of reform and opening-up. China’s nuclear industry has been open to international cooperation based on self-reliant development ever since. With more than 20 years’ development, nuclear science and technology studies have made continuous progress, nuclear power construction scored tremendous achievements, and nuclear technology application realized initial industrialization, contributing to the national economic development and improvement of people’s livelihood.

China’s nuclear power construction started in the early 1980s. Three units with a total installed capacity of 2100 MW were put into operation in the first half of 1990s in the mainland of China. Nuclear power accounted for around 1% of the total electricity generation of the country by the end of 2001. With the commercial operation of Unit 1 of Qinshan Phase II and Unit 1 of Lingao NPP this year, the total installed capacity of nuclear power increased by 1600 MW. Unit 1 of Qinshan Phase III and Unit 2 of Lingao NPP are now in the final commissioning stage. The other 4 units under construction are progressing successfully and will be put into operation respectively from 2003 to 2005, when the total installed nuclear power capacity in the mainland will reach 9,000 MW, supplying about 3% of the total power generation of the country.

Nuclear power alleviated the power supply shortage in China’s coastal region and helps promote the local economic development. The volume of radioactive fluid and solid wastes discharged from the nuclear power plants since they were put into operation more than 10 years ago is far lower than the national standards, and the radiation to the surrounding environment has been maintained at the level of natural background. The operation of these plants caused no adverse effects to the environment, a proof to the success, safety and reliability of nuclear power in China, providing experience and laying down a solid foundation for its further development.

China’s nuclear fuel industry, consistent with the nuclear power construction, has gained considerable progress. Its capability and level scaled a new height with technology upgraded through independent development and international cooperation. The manufacturers have achieved the localization of fuel assembly fabrication for light water reactors and Candu reactors and are able to fabricate deep-burn-up fuel assemblies to meet the requirement of the 18-month reloading cycle of 1000 MW NPPs. Technology upgrade or significant progress has been achieved in other links of fuel cycle, which cut down the production cost of nuclear fuel and guaranteed further development of nuclear power.

Nuclear technology application has made substantial development in industry, agriculture, medicine and other fields in China ever since the country adopted the policy of reform and opening-up. There are more than 300 enterprises and institutions engaged in nuclear application technology development and production with a total annual output of 15 billion yuan RMB. The industrial electron accelerators and Cobalt sources installation maintained a yearly growth rate of more than 20% since 1990, one of the fastest in the world. Nuclear technology application development has yielded significant achievements and its industrialization process speeded up. The successful development of X-ray customs container inspection system, mails electron-beam sterilizers provide new effective means against smuggling and terrorism. Nuclear technologies are applied widely in various agricultural fields and have brought remarkable beneficiary effects to the economy, society and ecology. China, with a rapid development momentum of nuclear medical appliances, has 7 radioactive medicine manufacture bases and more than 1000 hospitals with nuclear medicine technology. The popularization and promotion of nuclear medicine contributed to improving the people’s health level.

2. Moderate Development of Nuclear power and Pushing Industrialization of Nuclear Technology Application

The Chinese Government attaches great importance to and fully supports the development of peaceful uses of nuclear technology and related industries. We encourage enterprises to make full use of the domestic and international markets and resources to develop and expand the scale of nuclear energy industry and improve technology so that it will play an increasingly important role in the national economic construction.

The development of nuclear power which is safe, clean, and economical, is of growing importance to diversifying China’s energy mix, improving energy security, developing energy uses, and promoting sustainable development.

The Chinese Government has ratified the Kyodo Protocol. While raising the energy efficiency, we are making efforts to increase the proportion of clean energy. Nuclear power, a clean energy suitable for scale production with proven technology, will have greater development space in China as its economy continues to grow and its people’s livelihood further rises. In the eastern coastal area with comparatively developed economy in particular, nuclear power will become an important option to optimizing energy mix and alleviating pollution.

With the guideline of “moderate development of nuclear power”, the competent authorities are positively drafting and implementing nuclear power development plans for coordinated development. China’s nuclear power construction will follow the principle of “cooperating with international partners with China playing the major role, introducing technology and promoting localization” and realize “self-reliance and standardization”. The goal is to attain independence in designing, manufacturing and operating large nuclear power units on the basis of learning advanced experience of other countries, and to further cut down the capital cost and operation cost of nuclear power for sake of higher competitiveness.

China’s nuclear energy application, like in many other countries, develops in “three steps” (i.e., from thermo neutron reactors to fast neutron breeding reactors and then to controlled fusion reactors). Development and application of thermo reactors dominants at present and will do so in a long time to come, while technology research on fast reactors and fusion will be carried on concurrently. We will actively participate in international cooperation and follow the development trend of the world. Development strategy for thermo nuclear reactor technology is phased as follows: applying proven nuclear power technology for units constructed before 2010 while continuing research on advanced PWR and high temperature gas cooled reactor, and developing advanced technology with independent intellectual property rights; adopting advanced reactor types according to the international trend of nuclear power technology development after 2010 to further improve its safety and economics.

The nuclear fuel industry development shall cater to both the demands in the near future and the requirements for long-term development. Its development shall parallel that of nuclear power, increase manufacture efficiency and reduce cost. China will mainly rely on its own for nuclear fuel supply, but not excluding the possibility of using resources of other countries in light of the domestic production capabilities and the demand-supply situation of the international market. Spent fuel from NPPs is planned to be reprocessed in China to make full utilization of uranium. A pilot spent fuel reprocessing plant is under construction and research work of deep-underground disposal of high-level radioactive waste is active.

Enormous efforts have been devoted to the nuclear technology application to push forward technology innovation, develop quality products of new generation, support projects on energy saving, environmental protection and life sciences, and make breakthroughs in key technologies. Nuclear technology will be more extensively applied in fields of agriculture, medicine, environmental protection and security, oriented by market. Its industry scale and technology level will be improved to fully play its role in settling issues concerning agriculture, ecological environment, hydro-resource management, medical care and health.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The safety, economic competitiveness of nuclear power and nuclear waste management are the concerns of governments and public related to nuclear industry development. The Chinese Government, learning from the successful experience of other countries, adopted effective measures to settle the technological and management issues hindering further development of nuclear power by improving its economics at the prerequisite of safety and reinforce radioactive wastes management.

Nuclear safety is the lifeblood of nuclear industry development. The Chinese government adheres to the principle of “safety and quality come first” and gives top priority to safety of nuclear industry, and has adopted all effective measures to ensure the health of the staff and public and protect the environment. China’s nuclear industry has maintained good record of safe operation and environment protection for decades with no serious incidents. A fairly complete nuclear safety management system, nuclear safety monitoring system and nuclear emergency working system have been set up according to international practices, which played a positive role in ensuring safety.

Improving the economics of nuclear power is vital to nuclear energy development under the prerequisite of safety. More than 10 years of China’s experience shows that nuclear power has brought about beneficiary economic and social results by alleviating power supply shortage in the southeast coastal area at a lower generation cost than anticipation. The capital cost of the 4 NPPs under construction has been cut down by a big margin through effective control of “quality, timetable and investment” and other strict engineering management. The specific investment of Qinshan Phase II with high self-reliance is distinguishingly lower than the unit introduced from other countries in the same period, and its economic factors competitive against other clean energies.

Improving nuclear power economics is all the more urgent with the energy development and furtherance of institutional reform in the sector of power in China. Capital cost will be further reduced in the future. We are convinced that increased self-reliance and production scale will further cut down the cost and improve the economic competitiveness of nuclear power.

The Chinese Government attaches great importance to radioactive waste management and has adopted effective measures to cut down its production from NPPs and other nuclear facilities according to international experience. Policies and technology guidelines have been identified to dispose solid waste from nuclear power plants in the regional repository after interim storage. Two near-surface repositories for low-and-intermediate level radioactive waste have been built in Guangdong and Gansu. High level wastes will be disposed in deep geological repository, and relevant studies are under way.

The Chinese Government pays great attention to the physical protection of nuclear facilities, nuclear materials and radioactive sources and has adopted feasible measures including reinforcing management on waste radioactive sources and strengthening efforts against nuclear terrorism to ensure the healthy development of peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

3. Expanding International Cooperation

The Chinese Government pursues a policy of not advocating, encouraging or involving in nuclear weapon proliferation or assisting other countries in nuclear weapons development; and positively participates in the international efforts at non-proliferation. We hold at the meanwhile that non-proliferation and promotion of peaceful uses of nuclear energy supplement each other and shall be given equal attention. Proceeding from the above-mentioned position, China actively develops cooperation of mutual benefit with other countries and makes due contribution to both causes.

China has signed agreements on cooperation of peaceful uses of nuclear energy with US, UK, France, Russia, Japan, ROK, Canada, Pakistan, Vietnam, Egypt and others under the principle of mutual respect of sovereignty, equality and mutual benefit, which paved the way for bilateral exchange and cooperation in the nuclear sector.

China carried out cooperation in various forms with many countries, especially countries in the Pacific region, including personnel exchange, transfer of equipment and technology, economic trade, etc. For example, China made fruitful cooperation with France, Russia, Canada and Japan in nuclear power plant construction.

China, a developing country with nuclear industry capability, assists other developing countries within our ability, the demonstration of which is the Chashma NPP successfully constructed with cooperation between China and Pakistan. China actively participated in RCA projects and other activities under the framework of FNCA, and contributes to the cooperation and common development of this region.

Concerning multi-lateral cooperation, China actively participates in IAEA activities. China has been devoted to achieving the Agency’s objectives of non-proliferation and promotion of peaceful uses of nuclear energy as stipulated in the Statute since its accession to the Agency in 1984. China also took part in the negotiations and drafting of international nuclear conventions, and has singed or acceded 12 international legal instruments including the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials, the Convention on Early Notification of Nuclear Accidents, the Convention on Assistance in the Case of an Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency, and the Nuclear Safety Convention. China strictly sticks to these conventions and faithfully performs its corresponding obligations. The additional protocol to the safeguards agreement between China and IAEA took effect last March, fully proving China’s vigorous support to the international safeguards regime.

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

China’s nuclear industry is facing new opportunities in the new century during which its nuclear power and nuclear technology application will attain further development. We are looking forward to cooperating with other countries in the nuclear sphere to make joint efforts for the benefit of the mankind.

Finally, I wish the conference a complete success.

Thank you.