China raises nuclear power target to 5% by 2020
BEIJING, CHINA - China is working to increase the proportion of nuclear power in its total installed capacity to more than 5% by 2020, said Zhang Guobao, Director of the recently established National Energy Administration.
According to a nuclear power development plan issued in 2007, China's objective was to have nuclear power make up 4%, or 60 gigawatts (GW), of its total installed capacity. The new goal now sets the target for nuclear power at more than 70 GW.
China has 11 nuclear power units in operation at six nuclear power stations with a combined total capacity of nearly 10 GW. Gao Shixian, Director of the Energy Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission, stated that reaching 5% is feasible.
Although the announcement is attracting a number of companies into the market, China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corporation and China National Nuclear Corporation maintain their status as leaders in China's nuclear power development. However, the market could change, as more companies launch nuclear development plans to reduce their reliance on coal.
Related News

Restoring power to Florida will take 'weeks, not days' in some areas
MIAMI - Parts of Florida could be without electricity for more than a week, as damage from Hurricane Irma will require a complete rebuild of portions of the electricity grid, utility executives said on Monday.
Irma has knocked out power to 6.5 million Florida electricity customers, or nearly two-thirds of the state, since making landfall this weekend. In major areas such as Miami-Dade, 74 percent of the county was without power, according to Florida's division of emergency management.
Getting that power back online may require the help of 50,000 to 60,000 workers from all over the United States and Canada, according to Southern Company CEO and Chairman…