China's Nuclear Expansion Unlikely to be Hindered by Extreme Weather

While extreme weather is disrupting nuclear power generation in some parts of the world, it is unlikely to derail China’s rapid expansion in the sector, according to an industry specialist.

France – where nuclear accounts for around 70 per cent of electricity generation – had a record shortfall of more than 20 per cent in its nuclear-based capacity, with outages linked to drought, extreme heat and an invasion of jellyfish, Le Monde reported on August 11.

Nuclear facilities require large quantities of reactor-cooling water. However, unlike Europe’s reactors – which are mainly built along rivers – China’s nuclear power plants have been constructed along the coast.

Using open seawater for cooling makes Chinese reactors less vulnerable to droughts and heatwaves, according to Francois Morin, China director of the World Nuclear Association, an international industry body.

While coastal areas faced a range of threats associated with extreme weather, including storms and rising sea levels, China had a good understanding of typhoons and they did not pose a serious threat to its nuclear reactors, Morin said.