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Nuclear Power: “Made in China” Andrew C. Kadak, Ph.D. Professor of the Practice Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Introduction

There is no doubt that China has become a world economic power. Its low wages, high production capability, and constantly improving quality of goods place it among the world’s fastest growing economies. In the United States, it is hard to find a product not “Made in China.” In order to support such dramatic growth in production, China requires an enormous amount of energy, not only to fuel its factories but also to provide electricity and energy for its huge population. At the moment, on a per capita basis, China’s electricity consumption is still only 946 kilowatt-hours (kwhrs) per year, compared to 9,000 kwhrs per year for the developed world and 13,000 kwhrs per year for the United States. 1 However, China’s recent electricity growth rate was estimated to be 15 percent per year, with a long-term growth rate of about 4.3 percent for the next 15 years. 2 This is almost triple the estimates for most Western economies. China has embarked upon an ambitious program of expansion of its electricity sector, largely due to the move towards the new socialist market economy. As part of China’s 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-2005), a key part of energy policy is to “guarantee energy security, optimize energy mix, improve energy efficiency, protect ecological environment . . .” 3 China’s new leaders are also increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of its present infrastructure. They recognize that their nation’s greenhouse gas emissions will increase as its population and economy grow. Even though China has signed the Kyoto Accords, indicating a desire to limit contributing to global climate change, as a developing nation it is not bound by the reduction protocols. However, China recognizes that it will be under considerable international pressure to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Even at...