By IANS,
Beijing : China’s nuclear power industry will expand at a slower rate compared with the past five years, a media report said Wednesday.
“China’s nuclear industry base is still weak and we must ensure development stability and consistency,” China Daily quoted Zhang Guobao, former hear of the National Energy Administration, as saying.
Xinhua reported that the country suspended approvals of new nuclear power stations and order comprehensive safety inspections at all nuclear plants, following Japan’s Fukushima nuclear accident in March.
Zhang said the country should use the slowdown in construction to address weakness in the sector, including manufacturing capacity and technological innovation.
He also suggested the nation take this crisis as an opportunity to catch up as the world’s leading nuclear power country.
China is expected to have 42 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2015, equal to 3 percent of total installed power capacity, Zhang said.