China National Nuclear Corporation's clean energy tops 863 bln kWh

BEIJING, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- The China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), one of the country's largest nuclear power operators, has seen its total power generation from clean energy sources hit 863.1 billion kWh since its merger with the country's nuclear power plant builder in 2018, said the CNNC on Tuesday.

The China Nuclear Engineering and Construction Corporation was merged into the CNNC on Jan. 31, 2018.

The CNNC's generation of clean energy, which led to a reduction in coal consumption by 262 million tonnes and a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions by 688 million tonnes, holds environmental benefits equivalent to planting 2.26 billion trees and afforesting 1.88 million hectares, said the CNNC.

By now, the CNNC operates and holds a controlling stake in 25 operational nuclear power units, with a combined capacity of 23.75 million kilowatts. The company has 15 approved nuclear power units currently under construction, with an expected capacity of 16.25 million kilowatts.

In 2022, these power units generated 185.81 billion kWh of electricity, accounting for 44.48 percent of the country's total nuclear power generation.

In the past five years, the CNNC has seen substantial growth in renewable energy sectors. Wind power capacity surged from 1.11 million kilowatts to 5.45 million kilowatts, boasting an average annual growth rate of 48.86 percent. Photovoltaic capacity expanded from 620,000 kilowatts to a staggering 13.74 million kilowatts, with an average growth rate of 169.7 percent.

"China's nuclear industrial system has achieved historical and systematic leaps over the past five years, with the country's capabilities throughout the whole nuclear industrial chain greatly enhanced," said Yu Jianfeng, chairman of the CNNC. He noted that the country's capabilities in nuclear power research and development, construction, installed capacity, and operational performance have reached a leading global level.