Chinese move to nuclear power

China is expanding nuclear power quickly, but nuclear is still a small slice of its overall electricity mix compared with coal, wind, and solar.english.www+1​

Current role of nuclear

Nuclear power generated about 440 TWh of electricity in China in 2023, supplying just under 5% of total national electricity output. By the end of 2024, China had around 57–58 reactors in operation with roughly 60 GW of installed nuclear capacity, ranking it near the top globally but still far behind coal in actual generation.statista+3​

Build‑out under way

China currently has on the order of 25–35 additional reactors approved or under construction, the largest new‑build program in the world. Recent government approvals added another 10 units in 2025 alone, with total investment for those projects exceeding 200 billion yuan.climatescorecard+4​

Long‑term targets

China’s nuclear plans aim for roughly 110 GW of capacity by 2030 and about 200 GW by 2035, with scenarios pointing to 400–500 GW by 2050. These targets would raise nuclear’s share of China’s electricity to around 10% by 2040 and potentially 10–15% by mid‑century, still below wind and solar but central to long‑term decarbonization and energy security goals.nuclearbusiness-platform+3​

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