Nuke gets the Red nod

TO MEET the rising demands of electricity,
the Chinese government plans to augment its nuclear facilities by constructing 12 more nuclear plants apart from
the present two. Nuclear power is projected to rise from the current one per
cent usage to six per cent in AD 2020.

Being cash-strapped, however, the
Chinese are seeking help from countries
like Canada, Japan, UK, us and Russia to
budd the reactors. While China can on its own build reactors which can produce 300,000 kilowatt (KW), the planned
reactors are 600,000 KW and above in
their generating capacity. China hopes
to become self reliant in its power production and wants that the deals for
constructing the reactors fall in place
soon. As for the safety aspect of the
nuclear plants, the two reactors which
are currently operational show that
"nuclear power is an advanced, safe,
clean and economic kind of energy,"
according to Chen Zhaobo, vice chairperson for the China Atomic Energy
Authority.