SCIO press conference on ensuring energy supply and winter heating
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E-mail China.org.cn, January 20, 2023
Red Star News:
A set of nuclear energy heating projects, such as the demonstration nuclear heating project at the Hongyanhe nuclear power plant in Liaoning province, have been put into operation. How do those projects work? Will there be a further expansion to nuclear heating in the future? At the same time, how will you ensure the safety of these nuclear heating projects? Thank you.
Zhang Jianhua:
Thank you for your questions. Developing nuclear power in an active and orderly manner is a strategic plan made at the 20th National Congress of the CPC, which is a significant part of our energy strategy. It also plays an important role in optimizing our energy structure, ensuring energy security, building a new type of energy system, and helping to achieve carbon peak and carbon neutralization. At present, a total of 53 nuclear power units are in operation, with an installed capacity of 55.57 million kilowatts, accounting for nearly 5% of the total electric energy production. A total of 28 units with an installed capacity of 32.72 million kilowatts are under construction. Over the years, China's nuclear power units have maintained a good record in safety, with no operation incidents jeopardizing the environment and public safety. In addition, the main operation indicators have remained at an advanced international level.
Nuclear heating means extracting part of steam as a heat source while generating electricity in a nuclear power plant, carrying out a multi-level heat exchange system through heat exchange stations, and ultimately delivering this energy to residents through a municipal heating network. This is a safe and reliable concentrated heating method in urban areas since there are multiple shields to isolate nuclear power units from residents, transferring energy without the contact of mediums. NEA has attached great importance to nuclear heating. In 2019, the first-phase nuclear heating project at Haiyang nuclear power plant in Shandong province was put into operation. The plant was the country's first nuclear heating project and played an exemplary role. The second-phase project, with a heating area of 5 million square meters, has achieved full nuclear heating coverage in all urban areas of Haiyang city. In addition, Qinshan in Zhejiang province and Hongyanhe in Liaoning province have also since achieved nuclear heating. So far, these projects are running very safely and stably, bringing heating to the people. These projects have not only generated ecological and social benefits by replacing coal with nuclear energy, but also reduced local heating prices and improved economic benefits and people's livelihoods by advancing heating quality. It has formed an all-win situation. These projects have all gone down with local people.
At present, the follow-up projects of nuclear heating in Haiyang, Shandong province, and Qinshan, Zhejiang province, are under construction. Large-scale development of nuclear heating is taking shape, making it possible to provide heating over a further distance and a wider area. The NEA actively supports the further development of nuclear heating. Going forward, we will organize the work to summarize the experience of nuclear heating projects in operation, further promote its application under the premise of ensuring safety, and strive to make greater contributions to clean heating in China's northern region. Thank you.
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