Russia has said it will help China surpass the United States in nuclear energy, which could shift the balance of global energy. According to Reuters, Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev told Russian state television that Russia already supports China's nuclear build-out. China had a nuclear reactor capacity of 53.2 gigawatts as of April 2024, while the US operates about 97 GW. That is the gap that Russia says it will help China close.
What's happening?
Russia's state nuclear company Rosatom has built four reactors in China and is building four more, according to Likhachev. He told state TV that China's goal is to surpass the US in nuclear capacity by going above 100 GW. He also said China needs closed fuel cycle reactors using Russian technology to achieve this goal.
“China has ambitious plans for the development of nuclear energy. The task is to catch up and surpass the United States in terms of installed capacity, which means reaching a capacity of more than 100 gigawatts,” Likhachev told Russian state television, as quoted by Reuters.
“Of course. We will help. We are already helping,” he added in response to a question about whether Russia would help China achieve this goal.
Why is nuclear energy important?
Nuclear energy can provide large amounts of electricity without carbon pollution.
The U.S. Department of Energy says it is one of the nation's largest sources of clean energy, accounting for nearly 20% of electricity generation. In 2023 it also stated: “An analysis by the International Energy Agency shows that nuclear power will more than double in global net-zero emissions by 2050 scenarios between 2020 and 2050 and shows that reducing nuclear power would make achieving net-zero emissions more difficult and expensive.”
At the same time, nuclear power comes with some disadvantages, including radioactive waste, thermal pollution, safety concerns, high costs and more, according to Nuclear-power.com.
A review in Frontiers in Environmental Economics added that nuclear power projects could face higher costs and liability for accidents. The authors noted that while nuclear energy is a “non-fossil energy source,” other renewable options are not sufficiently explored, such as wind and solar energy.
What is being done about the expansion?
Outside of this plan, the International Atomic Energy Agency established standards for reactor safety, inspections and waste management. The DOE continues to view nuclear power as an important part of a balanced U.S. clean energy strategy, while others focused on sustainability are pushing for more investment in less expensive and time-consuming sustainable solutions.
Nuclear energy can produce large amounts of electricity without planet-warming carbon, but it also poses problems of waste, safety and cost. As China continues to expand its capabilities with Russia's help, international oversight will be important to ensure the expansion is managed responsibly.
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