User:DillonBigRed/Nuclear power in china: Difference between revisions

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China builds the bomb (Book by John Wilson Lewis)

=== 1959–1963 ===

The second phase was characterized by the goal of being completely self-sufficient in nuclear power development.<ref name=”:02″>{{Cite journal |last=Minor |first=Michael S. |date=1976 |title=China’s Nuclear Development Program |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2643520 |journal=Asian Survey |volume=16 |issue=6 |pages=571–579 |doi=10.2307/2643520 |issn=0004-4687 |jstor=2643520 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> In June 1959, the USSR officially ended any forms of nuclear aid to China, withdrawing Soviet technicians.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Letter to the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party on Not Giving China Samples of Nuclear Weapons and Technical Information |url=https://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/114346 |website=Wilson Center}}</ref> China suffered but continued nuclear power development through massive research and input. In order to rapidly strengthen its atomic energy industry, the [[Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|Central Committee]] decided that China must dedicate further resources exclusively to nuclear-related activities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chinese Communist Party Central Committee Decision With Respect To Several Issues Concerning Strengthening Atomic Energy Industrial Infrastructure |url=https://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/114353 |website=Wilson Center}}</ref> Consequently, the Institute of Atomic Energy created branch institutes of research organizations in every province, major city, and autonomous region.<ref name=”:02″ /> By the end of 1963, China had built more than forty chemical separation plants for the extraction of [[uranium]] and [[thorium]].<ref name=”:02″ /> In the year between 1961 and 1962, China accomplished significant achievements in nuclear development which consolidated future applications. From 1959 to 1963, a gaseous diffusion plant utilizing a large 300 MW reactor was under construction at Lanzhou.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Albright |first=David |title=Chinese Military Plutonium and Highly Enriched Uranium Inventories |url=https://isis-online.org/uploads/isis-reports/documents/chinese_military_inventories.pdf |journal=Institute for Science and International Security}}</ref> It was estimated that the Chinese invested over $1.5 billion in the construction of this plant.<ref name=”:02″ />

=== 1964 – 2012 ===

[[File:CANDU_at_Qinshan.jpg|thumb|[[Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant]], located in [[Zhejiang]] China]]

After the explosive progress in the 1950s, Chinese nuclear development slowed down, possibly because of the [[Cultural Revolution]], so only one nuclear test took place in 1970.<ref name=”:022″>{{Cite journal |last=Minor |first=Michael S. |date=1976 |title=China’s Nuclear Development Program |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2643520 |journal=Asian Survey |volume=16 |issue=6 |pages=571–579 |doi=10.2307/2643520 |issn=0004-4687 |jstor=2643520 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> On 8 February 1970, China issued its first nuclear power plan, and the ”728 Institute” (now known as [[Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute]])<ref>{{Cite web |title=Letter to the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party on Not Giving China Samples of Nuclear Weapons and Technical Information |url=https://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/document/114346 |website=Wilson Center}}</ref> was established.

[[Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant]], constructed in 1984, was the first independently designed and built nuclear power plant. It was successfully connected to the grid on 15 December 1991.<ref name=”China Nuclear Power”>{{Cite web |title=China Nuclear Power |url=http://www.smnpo.cn/zghd.htm |website=Shanghai Nuclear Office}}</ref><ref name=”lu-201005″>{{cite journal |author=Daogang Lu (North China Electric Power University) |date=May 2010 |title=The Current Status of Chinese Nuclear Power Industry and Its Future |url=http://www.jsm.or.jp/ejam/Vol.2.No.1/GA/12/article.html |url-status=live |journal=e-Journal of Advanced Maintenance |publisher=Japan Society of Maintenology |volume=2 |issue=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722121420/http://www.jsm.or.jp/ejam/Vol.2.No.1/GA/12/article.html |archive-date=22 July 2011 |access-date=14 August 2010}}</ref> The reactor is of type [[CNP-300]].{{fact|date=October 2024}}

Along with [[Chinese economic reform]], China continued to demand expansion of its electricity sector.<ref name=”Kadak 2006 77–90″>{{Cite journal |last=Kadak |first=Andrew C. |date=2006 |title=Nuclear Power: “Made in China” |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24590645 |journal=The Brown Journal of World Affairs |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=77–90 |issn=1080-0786 |jstor=24590645}}</ref> As part of China’s [[Tenth Five-Year Plan (People’s Republic of China)|tenth Five-Year Plan]] (2001–2005), a key component of energy policy was to “guarantee energy security, optimize energy mix, improve energy efficiency, protect the ecological environment.”<ref name=”Kadak 2006 77–90″ /> By 2002, China had two operational nuclear power plants.<ref name=”:022″ />{{Rp|page=197}}

In 2007, the [[Hu Jintao]] administration set the goal of doubling the amount of nuclear energy in China’s total installed capacity, which resulted in the major growth of business opportunities in China’s nuclear power sector.<ref name=”:Leutert”>{{Cite book |last=Leutert |first=Wendy |title=China’s State-Owned Enterprises: Leadership, Reform, and Internationalization |date=2024 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-1-009-48654-5 |edition= |series=Business and Public Policy Series |location=Cambridge |doi=10.1017/9781009486576}}</ref>{{Rp|pages=100-101}}

In 2012, Hu emphasized “the irreplaceable role of nuclear energy in ensuring energy security and climate change”.<ref name=”:022″ />{{Rp|page=201}}

=== 2013 – Present ===

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In the Cold War, the initial motivation of developing nuclear power for Beijing was largely due to security purposes. Between 1950 and 1958, Chinese nuclear power construction heavily relied on cooperation with the USSR. The first initiative was launched with the establishment of the China-Soviet Union Nonferrous Metals and Rare Metals Corporation and the first central atomic research facility, the Institute of Atomic Energy of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. In February 1955, a chemical separation plant for the production of weapons-grade U-235 and plutonium was created with Soviet aid in Xinjiang and in April the Changchun Institute of Atomic Energy was established. Several months later, on 29 April 1955, the Sino-Soviet Atomic Cooperation Treaty was signed. The China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) was also established in 1955. In addition to the cooperation with the USSR, China has started to learn nuclear technology by sending students to the USSR. In December 1958, nuclear power development had become the top priority project in the Draft Twelve Year Plan for Development of Science and Technology.

Planned changes:

Clarify the years on specific signings, the current source is very poor and overgeneralizing.

Expand section to allow for more specific details, such as quantity of students send to China/Russia

Correct the CNNC establishment date, as the CNCC in its modern form was created much more recently, in 1955 it would be the Institute not the company.

Add in more details on the “security purposes” such as the Taiwan Strait, Korean war & Armistice.

Stalin and the Bomb The Soviet Union and Atomic Energy, 1939-1956 by David Holloway

https://ciaotest.cc.columbia.edu/olj/sa/sa_oct00zum01.html#note11

China builds the bomb (Book by John Wilson Lewis)

The second phase was characterized by the goal of being completely self-sufficient in nuclear power development.^[1] In June 1959, the USSR officially ended any forms of nuclear aid to China, withdrawing Soviet technicians.^[2] China suffered but continued nuclear power development through massive research and input. In order to rapidly strengthen its atomic energy industry, the Central Committee decided that China must dedicate further resources exclusively to nuclear-related activities.^[3] Consequently, the Institute of Atomic Energy created branch institutes of research organizations in every province, major city, and autonomous region.^[1] By the end of 1963, China had built more than forty chemical separation plants for the extraction of uranium and thorium.^[1] In the year between 1961 and 1962, China accomplished significant achievements in nuclear development which consolidated future applications. From 1959 to 1963, a gaseous diffusion plant utilizing a large 300 MW reactor was under construction at Lanzhou.^[4] It was estimated that the Chinese invested over $1.5 billion in the construction of this plant.^[1]

Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, located in Zhejiang China

After the explosive progress in the 1950s, Chinese nuclear development slowed down, possibly because of the Cultural Revolution, so only one nuclear test took place in 1970.^[5] On 8 February 1970, China issued its first nuclear power plan, and the 728 Institute (now known as Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute)^[6] was established.

Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, constructed in 1984, was the first independently designed and built nuclear power plant. It was successfully connected to the grid on 15 December 1991.^[7]^[8] The reactor is of type CNP-300.^{[citation needed]}

Along with Chinese economic reform, China continued to demand expansion of its electricity sector.^[9] As part of China’s tenth Five-Year Plan (2001–2005), a key component of energy policy was to “guarantee energy security, optimize energy mix, improve energy efficiency, protect the ecological environment.”^[9] By 2002, China had two operational nuclear power plants.^[5]^: 197

In 2007, the Hu Jintao administration set the goal of doubling the amount of nuclear energy in China’s total installed capacity, which resulted in the major growth of business opportunities in China’s nuclear power sector.^[10]^{: 100–101}

In 2012, Hu emphasized “the irreplaceable role of nuclear energy in ensuring energy security and climate change”.^[5]^: 201

Net nuclear power capacity in China (2014-2024)^[11]
Year	gigawatts
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024

DONE:

Make changes to graph to add 2024

Start drafting 2024/2025 section

PLANS:

Re-write the earlier history section, especially the 1950–1958 section.

Add in more citations throughout,

Update or remove information/projections that are no longer accurate.

In 2021, the Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee announced an action plan which emphasized the deployment and development of next-generation nuclear power technology to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.^[12]

As of 2025, China is the world’s largest investor in nuclear energy, with 29 reactors currently in construction. This represents nearly half of all nuclear reactors being built globally.^[13] China is projected to surpass the United States as the world’s leading producer of nuclear energy in the coming years.^[14] This expansion is consistent with the country’s stated climate strategy. In terms of total prospective capacity, China leads with nearly 125 GWe announced and under-construction projects, almost four times that of second-place Russia.^[15]