China has officially approved the construction of 10 new nuclear reactors across its coastal regions, strengthening its commitment to expanding nuclear energy amidst increasing global interest in this power source.

This decision is pivotal as China seeks to reach significant climate objectives, namely peaking carbon emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.

Among the newly approved reactors, eight will utilize the Hualong One design, which is a domestically developed third-generation pressurized water reactor.

The remaining two reactors will be based on the CAP1000 technology, which is derived from the Westinghouse AP1000 design.

Currently, China operates 58 nuclear reactors and is in the process of constructing an additional 44, bringing the total number of facilities to 102.

Based on this current growth trajectory, China is expected to surpass all other nations, positioning itself as the world's largest nuclear power operator by 2030, with a collective potential generating capacity of approximately 113 gigawatts.

Liu Jing, deputy director of the China Atomic Energy Authority, announced that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), China is projected to operate over 100 commercial nuclear power units, making it the only nation globally with such a milestone.

In 2024, China's nuclear power generation reached an output of 450 billion kWh.

This production has led to a reduction of approximately 140 million tonnes of standard coal usage and decreased carbon dioxide emissions by about 370 million tonnes, according to the National Energy Administration (NEA).

The integration of nuclear power into the energy market is deepening in the country, with market-driven transactions accounting for 46 percent of nuclear generation in 2024, a significant increase from around 30 percent in 2020, as highlighted in a report released this week.

The development of nuclear energy is identified as a crucial component of China's energy security strategy and plays an integral role in facilitating a transition to a greener, low-carbon energy system, according to He Yang, deputy director of the NEA.

In a further demonstration of technological advancement, China has introduced the world’s first commercial fourth-generation high-temperature gas-cooled reactor in 2023 and is constructing the first land-based small modular reactor, which is expected to be operational by 2026.

Additionally, the Chinese nuclear sector is advancing with the unveiling of an innovative smart operating system at a recent nuclear industry expo in Beijing.

Developed by the state-owned China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN), this AI-driven platform employs automated processes to enhance the operational efficiency of nuclear facilities.

Engineers showcased a fully automated startup sequence for a nuclear reactor, supported by real-time monitoring systems that process two million operational metrics every second.

This digital framework represents a significant leap in the integration of AI technology within the nuclear energy landscape.

Guo Jingren, an architect with CGN, described the new system as fundamentally transformative, stating that it provides a 'new brain' for nuclear facilities.

The smart operating system's predictive algorithms have demonstrated capabilities to detect abnormalities, such as coolant pump issues, up to 20 days prior to when conventional monitoring systems would signal alerts.

Experts from the China Nuclear Energy Association indicated that accelerating the integration of 'intelligent nuclear power' into existing nuclear units could markedly improve safety and reduce maintenance costs.