China is ahead of the United States in high-tech nuclear energy by about 15 years

The United States lags China by as much as 15 years in developing high-tech nuclear power as Beijing’s state-backed technological approach and extensive financing give it the edge, a report said Monday.

China has 27 nuclear reactors under construction with an average construction time of about seven years, much faster than other countries, the study by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a Washington-based nonpartisan research institute, said.

“China’s rapid deployment of ever-more modern nuclear power plants is leading to significant economies of scale and learning-by-doing effects, and this suggests that Chinese companies will gain an advantage in increased innovation in this sector in the future,” the report said.

The United States has the world’s largest fleet of nuclear power plants, and President Joe Biden’s administration considers an emissions-free source of electricity to be critical in curbing climate change.

But after commissioning two large plants in Georgia in 2023 and 2024 billions of dollars over budget and delaying them for years, no U.S. nuclear reactors have been built. A high-tech factory that was scheduled to be built in a US laboratory was canceled last year.

China’s state-owned banks can offer loans as low as 1.4%, a rate much lower than that available in Western economies. Its nuclear power industry has benefited from ongoing state support and localization strategies that have allowed China to dominate sectors such as renewable energy and electric vehicles.

The first so-called fourth-generation cryogenic high-temperature gas reactor in Shidao Bay began operation last December. The China Nuclear Energy Association claims that the project involves the development of more than 2,200 sets of “world-first equipment” with an overall localization rate of locally produced materials of 93.4%.

Supporters of high-tech reactors say they are safer and more efficient than current reactors. Critics say some of the new reactors pose proliferation and physical risks.

It was not all smooth sailing for China. The China Nuclear Energy Association warned that there was a severe glut in the production of nuclear components, and that “excessive competition” was pushing prices down and causing losses.

If the United States is serious about nuclear energy, it must develop a strong national strategy that includes more investment in research and development, identifying and accelerating promising technologies, and supporting the development of a skilled workforce, said Stephen Ezell, the report’s author.

“Although America is lagging behind, it can certainly catch up technologically,” Ezell said.

The US Department of Energy did not comment on the report.

– Timothy Gardner – Reuters