Daniel Slotta
Research expert covering Greater China
Nuclear energy in China - statistics & facts
Nuclear energy utilizes the energy stored inside of atoms to generate heat and hence electricity. It is a low-carbon energy source and primarily uses uranium as fuel to carry out the nuclear chain reactions in nuclear reactors.
In only 30 years between 1990 and 2021, China became the second largest nuclear energy producer in the world. Although this country had the highest primary energy consumption worldwide in 2021, fossil fuels werethe main national source of energy. The nuclear share of China's electricity generation still amounted to only five percent in that year. While this share was far from the levels of other major nuclear producing countries, it has been increasing rapidly over the years.
China’s race for nuclear power
In 2021, around 15 percent of the nuclear reactors in operation globally were in China. While many countries were planning to phase-out nuclear power after the Chernobyl (1986) and Fukushima (2011) nuclear disasters, China had the highest number of planned nuclear reactors. The growth of nuclear power in China is part of the nation’s ambitious carbon neutrality goal by 2060. Despite being mostly self-sufficient in terms of nuclear reactor technology, China’s annual mine production of uranium was around one-eighth of its uranium consumption in 2021. Therefore, China relied largely on nuclear fuel imports to meet the current domestic need from nuclear energy generation.Nuclear market leaders in China
As a result of insufficient domestic uranium reserves, the nuclear energy providers in China had to look overseas to meet demand. CNNC International, a subsidiary of the state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), was tasked with uranium trading, which was its only source of revenue in 2021. China National Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., another branch of CNNC, was in charge of the nuclear power production of the country along with the other state-owned market leader, China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN Power). CGN Power managed half of the nuclear energy generating units in China. CGN Power’s revenue was mostly from electricity sales.
