World
Institutional
links
Welcome back on
26 -29 August,
ONS 2008
Bridging
the energy gap
is ONS 2006 theme,
from 22-25 August,
in Stavanger, Norway
Petroleumworld
Business
Partners:
Centre for
Global Energy
Studies
  |
China eyes nuclear energy after snow: report
BEIJING
Petroleumworld.com, Mar 24, 2008
China has become more ambitious about adopting nuclear energy after heavy snowstorms early this year showed the dangers of reliance on coal, state media said Monday.
The government now wants nuclear energy to account for at least five percent of total power supply by 2020, the China Daily reported, citing Zhang Guobao, head of the new national energy bureau.
"All sides have reached the consensus that nuclear energy is an ideal option for China," Zhang was quoted as saying.
Nuclear energy currently makes up less than two percent of China's total energy, according to the paper.
It said the decision to boost the target was motivated by severe winter weather early this year, which showed the dangers of relying on coal.
As snowstorms and low temperatures caused a breakdown in key parts of China's road and rail transportation networks, many areas dependent on coal could not obtain sufficient supplies.
Coal, which accounts for nearly 70 percent of China's demand for energy, is mainly mined in the north of the country, while some of the main consumers are in the manufacturing centres in the south.
China currently has 11 nuclear power reactors, the newspaper said.
According to its energy development plan, China aims to cut the share of coal in energy consumption to 66 percent by 2010.
Story from AFP
AFP 24 0721 GMT 03 08
Copyright© 2008 respective author or news agency. All rights reserved.
We welcome the use of Petroleumworld™ stories by anyone provided it mentions Petroleumworld.com as the source. Other stories you have to get authorization by its authors.
Your feedback is important to us!
We invite all our readers to share with us
their views and comments about this article.Write to editor@petroleumworld.com
Any question or suggestions, please write to:
editor@petroleumworld.com
Best Viewed with IE 5.01+
Windows NT 4.0, '95, '98 and ME +/ 800x600 pixels