China's Nuclear Surge: A World Leader in Construction (or only from 2030 onward)

China will reach the figure of 125 gigawatts (GW) of total installed nuclear capacity, and thus will surpass the United States around 2030, writes Interesting Engineering. Although China is the absolute world leader in the speed and scale of new projects, the United States still remains the top nuclear power by the amount of electricity it currently feeds into the grid

According to the new "blue book" of the Chinese Nuclear Energy Association, Beijing currently operates 60 commercial reactors. Although that's an impressive number, it is still smaller than the United States' 95 operating reactors. However, what sets China apart is the dynamism: with 36 units under construction, China is currently delivering more than half of all nuclear construction sites on the planet.

The race for 2030

China's strategy is clear – by 2030 they plan to surpass the US and become number one by all parameters. The current five-year plan foresees reaching 110 gigawatts of operational capacity, which would mean almost a hundred percent increase compared with the situation from a few years ago.

Domestic technology as the engine of growth

The main advantage for China in this race is the shift to its own third-generation technology – Hualong One, so at sites such as Lufeng, new blocks (5 and 6) are being built exclusively with Hualong One designs, which drastically shortens construction time to only 5 to 7 years. Therefore, to many it seems that China has practically achieved the effect of an "industrial belt," which is also seen as one of the golden grails of the industry.