ACCELERATING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF NUCLEAR ENERGY IN CHINA – AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BOOSTING THE TRANSITION TOWARD „GREEN” ENERGY?

Abstract

In the current international economic environment, shaped by the consequences of the war in Ukraine and by the global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue of "clean"/”green” energy is a constant concern for both the states with advanced economies and for those with emerging economies. China, one of the fastest growing economies, has set out to become a world leader in this field, hence within its "Made in China 2025" Strategy the development of renewable energies occupies a central place. Taking into consideration all the mentioned factors, the purpose of this research is to highlight the place and role of nuclear energy in the mix of “green” energies in China, while also emphasizing the premises of the technological advance registered by the Chinese nuclear industry. Our article underlines both the challenges for the development of Chinese nuclear industry and the remarkable progress made in recent years, presenting, through a comparative analysis, China's position in the ranking of current nuclear powers, but also the main goals of the Chinese authorities regarding the development of nuclear energy and increasing its role in the national energy mix.

Keywords

• “green energy”
• nuclear industry
• made in china 2025 strategy
• chinese economy