US Media: China's Nuclear Power Capacity Will Surpass the US by 2032!

China is accelerating nuclear power plant construction, while the United States is falling behind, leading experts to estimate that by 2032, the rankings of nuclear power capacity between the two countries may be reversed.

According to industry forecasts and corporate announcements, Bloomberg, a U.S. media outlet, analyzed and predicted that China will surpass France next year to become the world's second-largest nuclear power capacity country, and will overtake the United States by 2032 to become the world's largest.

It is expected that the global rankings of nuclear power capacity will shift from last year’s: United States (97 GW), France (63 GW), China (56 GW) to next year’s: United States (99 GW), China (71 GW), France (63 GW), and further evolve by 2032 to: China (102 GW), United States (101 GW), France (63 GW).

Thereafter, it is projected that by 2055, China’s nuclear power capacity will reach 246 GW, while the United States will only reach 78 GW.

The United States was once a leader in the nuclear energy field, but its nuclear capabilities significantly declined after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident in 1979; currently, the average age of its 94 nuclear reactors is 44 years.

In contrast, China, leveraging its domestic supply chain and continuous experience in building nuclear power plants, adds approximately 10 new reactors annually.

Bloomberg explained that the cost of constructing nuclear power plants in China is less than one-fifth of that in the United States and Europe.

China currently has 33 nuclear reactors under construction, and last March approved a 200-billion-yuan project for 10 new reactors.

Owing to the booming development of artificial intelligence (AI) and increasing electricity demand driven by climate change mitigation efforts, nuclear power has recently attracted renewed attention.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861504430846987/

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