China to Encourage Uranium Exploration

China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said the country aims to encourage the construction and technological development of advanced nuclear reactors as well as promote the further prospecting for domestic uranium sources.

Technological development would include advances in uranium isotope separation technology, the handling of spent fuel and the prevention and detection of radiation.

While China is holding a strategic review of existing reactors and construction sites following the Fukushima crisis, government and industry officials have stressed that the country will not relinquish its long-term commitment to nuclear power development, but may slowdown the pace of construction to allow for the necessary manufacturing and regulatory capacity to be built. Before Fukishima, many industry experts forecast China to unveil a new capacity target of 80-90GW by 2020, but since then, a significantly lower figure of around 75GW is anticipated. At late-2010, national nuclear capacity reached 10.8GW.