China Nuclear Power Situation and Development

1. China Nuclear Power Situation and Development WU Zongxin INET，Tsinghua University

2. The Police of Nuclear Energy • Since 2004, China government has changed the police of nuclear development from “moderate” to “ active”

3. Nuclear Power in China • 9 NPP in operation and I NPP in commissioning, total 7.6 GW installed capacity • 52.3 billion kWh - 2.1% of total power generation • Accept 2 units of CANDU PHWR type, others PWR type

4. Existing Nuclear Power Plants in China

5. Nuclear Power Plants Under Construction in China

6. Planning of Nuclear Power Development • The government plans to increase nuclear generating capacity to 40 GWe by 2020 with a further 18 GWe nuclear being under construction then • Requiring an average of 2 GWe per year being added.

7. Nuclear Power Plants in Plan in China

8. Open bidding for third-generation designs • In September 2004 the State Council approved the two units at Sanmen, followed by six units at Yangjiang (two to start with), these to be 1000 or 1500 MWe reactors • The Sanmen and Yanjiang plants were subject to an open bidding process for third-generation designs, with contracts being awarded in mid 2006 • Westinghouse bid its AP 1000 (which now has US NRC final design approval), Areva NP (Framatome ANP) bid its EPR of 1600 MWe

9. NPP Technologies • PWRs will be the mainstream but not sole reactor type • Nuclear fuel assemblies are fabricated and supplied indigenously • Domestic manufacturing of plant and equipment will be maximized, with self-reliance in design and project management • International cooperation is nevertheless encouraged

10. New Nuclear Power Reactor Technology Development • In February 2006 the State Council announced that the large advanced PWR and the small high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTR) are two high priority projects for the next 15 years • In order to master international advanced technology on nuclear power and develop a Chinese third-generation large PWR“ • CNNC has confirmed this, while pointing longer-term to fast neutron reactors

11. National laws • The Atomic Energy Act is a supreme legal document in nuclear field to adjust and promote the atomic energy development in China • The Atomic Energy Act being worked out • The Environment Protection Act of the People’s Republic of China was approved by the National People’s Congress (NPC) • The Radioactive Pollution Prevention Act is a basic law for the radioactive waste management

12. Nuclear Safety and Wastes Management • To meet the needs of nuclear energy development, independent regulatory authorities and implementation bodies came into being in China’s radioactive waste management system in virtue of years of practices. • The State Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), independent of the nuclear industry, carries out supervision and management on nuclear safety and radiation environment of civilian nuclear facilities：licensing management and routine monitoring

13. Rules and regulations by governmental departments Detailed Implementation Rules have been promulgated in succession: • National Regulations on Supervision and Management of Safety of Civilian Nuclear Facilities • Provisions on Safety of Civilian Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities • Provisions on Safety of NPP Radioactive Waste Management • Environmental Policy on Intermediate and Low-level Radioactive Wastes Disposal • Provisions on Radioactive Waste Management

14. Nuclear Fuel Cycle • China has primarily established a nuclear fuel cycle system covering uranium exploration, mining and milling, conversion, isotope separation, nuclear fuel element manufacture and spent fuel reprocessing.

15. Establishment of nuclear fuel cycle system

16. Uranium Resources • At present the uranium resources supply available domestically • With the prospective need to import much more uranium • CNNC is also keen to participate in exploration and mining abroad, and in 2006 bought into a small Australian uranium prospect

17. Cardinal principles of waste management • Aiming at safety and taking disposal as core; • Ensuring exposure received by workers and the public within the dose limits set by the state, and keeping at the ALARA level when taking into account the economic and social factors; • Protecting later generations, i.e. no extra burdens and responsibilities to be added to later generations, and the protection level of individuals of later generations will not lower than the current level;

18. Cardinal principles of waste management • Relevant radioactive waste treatment facilities should be designed, constructed and operated simultaneously with facilities or practices producing radioactive wastes • Taking into full consideration the inter-relations between various phases of waste management: • reduction in output • categorized collection • purification and concentration, volume reduction and solidification • careful encapsulation, safe transportation • in-situ interim storage • concentrated disposal, controlled discharge

19. Cardinal principles of waste management • The environmental impact assessment should be conducted prior to any waste management facility or practice. • The discharge amount should be applied for to environment protection agencies. • The amount and concentration of radioactive materials discharged to environment must lower than the discharge limits set by regulatory authorities.

20. Treatment of L/ILW • L/ILW arising from NPPs will be cement-solidified in 200 L steel barrel or large concrete container • Development of a series of cement formulas, methods to examine the solidification performance, and some cementation apparatuses

21. Near-surface Disposal of I/LLSW • Near-surface disposal of I/LLSW including cement formula piles and hydraulic fracture disposal • Following the policy of regional disposal of I/LLSW, China has set up several state regional I/LLSW disposal sites where nuclear installations are comparatively concentrated

22. Near-surface Disposal of I/LLSW • The northwest I/LLSW repository put into operation with planed capacity of the first phase is 5,200,000 m3 • The design disposal capacity of Guangdong Beilong repository, closing to the Daya Bay and Ling Ao NPPs in Shenzhen, is 80,000 m3 • Repository in Zhejiang in planning

23. Treatment and Disposal of HLW • Spent fuel storage • Reprocessing • Vitrification of HLLW • Deep geological disposal of HLW

24. Spent reprocessing • Initiate target: recovery of uranium and plutonium for resource conservation • Long target: • Reprocessing + partitioning → transmutation: remove trans-uranium and separate strontium and cesium • Improvement of resource utilization • Minimizing the radioactive toxic • Reducing the waste repository volume • Scientific research and test verification carried out for a 50 tU spent fuel project • A commercial facility put into operation after 2020

25. Deep geological disposal of HLW • Plan for deep geological disposal of HLW consists of four stages: technical preparedness; geological research; on-site test and construction • Great progress on sitting for repository and underground laboratory, and the feasibility study • Northwest region of China: primarily determined as one of the most likely candidate sites • Two wells as deep as 700 m and 500 m respectively drilled for carrying out multi-disciplinary research

26. Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities • Drafting National standard Safety Requirements for Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities • Carrying out relevant development work • Assessment of radioactivity inventory • Decontamination • Cutting technology • Remote operation • Smelting • Radioactive waste management • Health protection and safety

27. 谢 谢！