China may hike nuke power share to 5% by 2020

Revising its target, China is likely to increase the nuclear power share to five percent of its total installed power-generation capacity by 2020, a top official of National Energy Administration said.

The revised target is one per cent more than the four percent goal set in the 2007 edition of the nations nuclear development plan.

"The target adjustment will further improve the energy structure of the country and reduce significantly its reliance on coal," Gao Shixian, head of the research institute of energy under the National Development and Reform Commission, was quoted as saying by China Securities Journal, according to Xinhua News Agency.

The nuclear power sector will have an installed capacity of more than 70 million kw by 2020 to achieve the new target, the report said.

China, whose little more than two thirds of energy requirement is now met by coal, has 11 operational nuclear generating units with a combined installed capacity of 9.08 million KW.

Last year, it generated 62.6 billion kw/h of nuclear power, a 14.1 percent rise year on year, according to the China Electricity Council, an industry association.

Nuclear power plants now provide 2.3 percent of Chinas power and it is planned to be increased to 16 percent by 2030.