Nations interested in developing nascent nuclear technologies
– By Stephen Heiser –
Officials from Russia, India and China at a nuclear energy conference here confirmed Monday their countries' interest in developing nuclear technology including, a fast neutron reactor.
Alexander Agapov of Russia's nuclear power corporation Rosatom, said Russia was planning 'a gradual transition from 2020 to a new technological platform on the basis of fast neutron reactors with a closed fuel cycle'.
Anil Kakodkar, chief of India's Atomic Energy Commission, said India found small and medium-capacity reactors most suitable for its 17 nuclear power plants.
Qin Sun, the deputy head of China's National Energy Administration, said China was set to install over 40 GW – of nuclear facilities by 2020, including through developing its own technology. China's 11 operating nuclear reactors with a combined capacity of about 9 GW currently met slightly over one percent of the country's energy demand.
Another eight nuclear power plants with 16 reactors of a total of over 10 GW is planned to be built in China in the next three years. China is also developing a fast neutron reactor programme in cooperation with Russia and is currently building an experimental reactor, CEFR, to be launched in 2010.