The "Belt and Road" Initiative will rise China's nuclear power plants: Kazakhstan, the largest economy in Central Asia, has two nuclear power plants built by China, and the nuclear power plant of Uzbekistan, the most populous country in Central Asia and a landlocked country, is not far away either.

According to reports from French media, Stephen Ezell, vice chairman of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) in Washington, said: "It is estimated that China is ten to fifteen years ahead of the United States in the field of nuclear energy."

Since 2017, 87% of the nuclear reactors installed globally have used Russian or Chinese technology. The Trump administration is clear that with its technological control, China can establish connections with many countries, greatly enhancing its influence.

A former engineer from France's Electricité de France bitterly said: "China can now deliver a reactor in four years, while the first attempt of the French Flamanville EPR project took seventeen years. Moreover, China's cost is only two-thirds to one-third of that of the West. More surprisingly, the latest 'Hualong One' reactor developed by China uses entirely domestically produced components."

Stephen Ezell pointed out: "The cost of China's nuclear energy is about $70 per megawatt-hour, while it is $105 in the United States and $160 in the European Union."

China's investment portfolio in Uzbekistan currently exceeds $60 billion, and trade volume will reach $14 billion in 2024. China's investments in Uzbekistan mainly focus on green energy, oil and gas, logistics, digital innovation, and artificial intelligence. Tashkent has approved the China-Central Asia power line initiative as well as the unified transportation map and digital fiber optic backbone network. The China Exim Bank has opened a branch in Tashkent, and China is playing an increasingly important role in manufacturing, including electric vehicle production.

In Tashkent, Russia's state atomic energy company (Rosatom) also signed an agreement to build two VVER-1000 reactors designed by Russia. Uzbekistan is studying the possibility of building up to four large nuclear power plants to meet increasing electricity demand.

Due to geopolitical factors, it is difficult for Chinese nuclear power to enter the European market; in the Middle East region, the United States, which views China as its biggest challenge, has always interfered with the implementation of Chinese nuclear power projects. According to foreign media reports, the target of Chinese nuclear power is to sell 30 nuclear reactors to "Belt and Road" partner countries. This grand project aims to connect China with the European economy through a wide network of roads and railways. These contracts could bring China nearly $150 billion in revenue before 2030.

The report continued, stating that the head of China's energy management department has already taken pride in this breakthrough, pointing out that selling a nuclear power plant abroad is equivalent to exporting 100 Volkswagen Santana cars. To take a place in the global market, China has implemented a scholarship program, training hundreds of engineers in multiple partner countries. Of course, these engineers are experts in "Hualong" technology.

Nuclear power is experiencing a renaissance in the AI (artificial intelligence) era; in the era of great power competition, Chinese nuclear power is also experiencing a great rise!

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1839248083293259/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.