China fuel breakthrough Chinese, media

CWong

Chinese scientists have made a breakthrough in nuclear fuel reprocessing technology that could effectively end any uranium supply concerns, state media reported on Monday.

The technology developed by state-run China National Nuclear Corp enables the country to re-use irradiated nuclear fuel, China Central Television said.

"China's proven uranium sources will last only 50 to 70 years, but this now changes to 3,000 years," said the report.

The development would be an important step forward in China's plans to increase the share of alternative power sources in its energy mix to reduce pollution and achieve energy security.

It has stepped up investment in nuclear power in an effort to slash carbon emissions and reduce the nation's heavy reliance on polluting coal, which accounts for 70 percent of its power needs.

China announces nuclear fuel break


China, now the world's second-largest economy after surpassing Japan in 2010, aims to get 15 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2020.

China aims to increase nuclear power capacity to 70-80 gigawatts by 2020, accounting for about five percent of the country's total installed power capacity, state press reports have said.

The government said previously the target was 40 gigawatts.

China currently produces around 750 tonnes of uranium a year but annual demand could rise to 20,000 tonnes a year by 2020 as it boosts nuclear power output, the China Daily newspaper has said. - Sapa-AFP

CWong

China has followed in the routes of Russia, India and Japan after announcing its understanding on how to reprocess nuclear fuel. The industrial secret in largely kept separate from others, though it enables each country to separate unused materials during the creation of nuclear energy to create additional power sources. This process will give China an unprecedented amount of untapped energy sources, providing them with the ability to power its large economy.

During the process of creating nuclear energy, any unused uranium and plutonium can be used as their own power sources, reducing waste and providing various additional proponents of energy sources. Typically plutonium is used during this process, but uranium is also capable of providing an additional energy source during price increases.

The process, though effective is finding energy alternatives, is also highly controversial as plutonium is a main component in creating nuclear weapons. Already an owner of nuclear weapons, the potential that this discovery holds could magnify the Chinese possession of nuclear fuel to more than 3000 years. The company that made this discovery claims this fuel can last up to 70 years as is.

At this point in time, China has over a dozen nuclear plants but has yet to commercialize on this process. Already their uranium reserves, according to the China Daily, stands at 171 400 t in the areas of Jiangxi, Guangdong, Hunan, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Liaoning and Yunnan. This unique recycling technology was discovered at the China National Nuclear Corporation’s No. 404 Factory in the Gobi desert of Gansu province. China currently produces around 10, 15 gw.