Nuclear power is seen as the cleanest energy source in the world today, but its development costs are very high in terms of money, energy and time, and therefore, not all countries can afford it. Among the largest nuclear power users in the world are the United States, France and China.
Currently, the United States is seen as the largest producer and consumer of nuclear power in the world, with 30 percent of global nuclear power consumption being by that country alone.
Recently, it was reported that the Chinese government has just confirmed that they will open 10 new nuclear power plants, five of which are expansions of existing nuclear power plants.
The five plants to be expanded include:
Fangchenggang, in Guangxi
Sanmen, in Fujian
Haiyang, in Shandong
Xiapu, in Chongqing
Taishan, in Guangdong
Currently, China has 58 nuclear power plants generating 56.9 gigawatts of electricity, and is in the process of building 30 more nuclear power plants, not including the 10 that have just been approved.
With the construction of these plants, it is expected that by 2030 when these newly approved plants are opened, it is estimated that China will become the world's largest nuclear power generator, surpassing both the United States and France.
Meanwhile, the Chinese government has also said that a large amount of the technology used to build these plants is using their own efforts. For example, the Hualong One reactor was developed using their own labor and technology, and eight of the plants in China are reported to be using such reactors.