US 15 Years Behind China on Nuclear Power

• 18 Jun 2024

According to report by Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute released on June 17th the U.S. is as many as 15 years behind China on developing high-tech nuclear power

Key Highlights of Report

• China has 27 nuclear reactors under construction with average construction timelines of about seven years, far faster than other countries.
• Between 2008 and 2023, China’s share of nuclear patents increased from 1.3 percent to 13.4 percent and the country now leads in the number of nuclear fusion patent applications.
• China’s rapid increase in nuclear power is due to a “coherent national strategy” to develop nuclear power, including low-interest financing, feed-in tariffs, and streamlined regulatory approval.
• China’s government has assigned considerable priority to domestic nuclear reactor construction as part of Beijing’s broader energy strategy.
• In December 2023, China unveiled the world’s first so-called fourth-generation nuclear plant at Shidao Bay in eastern Shandong province.
• The US is still the top country for nuclear power generation, ahead of France and China, with its 94 reactors accounting for about one-third of global output.