Latest news with #CNNC
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Russia loses ground as China offers cheaper nuclear power plants to Kazakhstan
China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has proposed building two nuclear power plant units in Kazakhstan with a total capacity of 2.4 GW for US$5.47 billion – nearly half the previously estimated cost. Source: The Moscow Times, an independent Amsterdam-based news outlet Details Following negotiations, the Kazakh side "expressed interest in learning from China's experience in ensuring nuclear and water-ecological safety at all stages of the nuclear power plant project". CNNC not only offers a lower price but is also ready to share technologies and allow Kazakhstan full control over the nuclear fuel cycle. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has announced its readiness to cooperate with Kazakhstan on the project. Other shortlisted contenders for the construction of the nuclear plant in Kazakhstan include Russia's Rosatom, South Korea's KHNP and France's EDF. The data of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Energy shows that the project was previously estimated at US$10-15 billion. The government had warned that due to rising material and service costs, the amount could increase by 1.5 times. Kazakhstan has the world's second-largest uranium reserves and controls 43% of global uranium production through the company Kazatomprom. The country previously operated a nuclear power plant – the Shevchenko plant – built during the Soviet era, which was decommissioned in 1999 due to the risk of weapons-grade plutonium production. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Zawya
23-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Atomic Alliances: China's Strategic Push into Africa's Nuclear Energy Sector
China is rapidly scaling up its energy diplomacy in Africa, with nuclear cooperation emerging as a cornerstone of its broader strategic agenda. On April 8, South Africa's Nuclear Energy Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) during an official visit to China led by South Africa's Electricity Minister, Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa. The agreement aims to revive South Africa's nuclear fuel cycle, accelerate the deployment of small modular reactors and promote collaboration on advanced fuels such as high-assay low-enriched uranium. With strong government support for nuclear power but limited domestic financing, South Africa is seeking international partners to inject capital and technology while maintaining state ownership of key infrastructure. Minister Ramokgopa's working visit to China also aimed to find solutions to South Africa's energy insecurity and loadshedding. Central to this effort is the proposed life extension of the SAFARI-1 reactor at the Pelindaba nuclear research center, which is scheduled for retirement in 2030. Plans for a new multi-purpose reactor are already underway with R1.2 billion ($63.6 million) in seed funding allocated, but further investment is needed to move the project forward. This underscores the critical role of sustained nuclear investment in securing South Africa's long-term energy resilience and reducing dependence on aging infrastructure. China's Expanding Footprint China's ambitions in Africa's nuclear sector extend beyond South Africa. At the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, China launched the China-Africa Forum on the Peaceful Use of Nuclear Technology, as part of its 2025-2027 Beijing Action Plan. The move reinforced China's long-term goal to become Africa's premier nuclear energy partner. With 53 of 54 African nations represented at FOCAC – including 51 Heads of State – the event provided a powerful platform for Beijing to promote its nuclear agenda and expand its diplomatic and technical reach, while highlighting how Africa is leveraging nuclear energy to meet its growing power demands. For Africa, nuclear power presents a unique opportunity to address the continent's urgent energy access gap while advancing long-term sustainability. Nuclear offers baseload electricity with zero carbon emissions, making it well-suited to complement intermittent renewables like solar and wind. Small modular reactors, in particular, are seen as a viable solution for remote or off-grid regions due to their scalability, smaller footprint and enhanced safety features. With growing populations and rising industrial demand, several African nations view nuclear power as a low-carbon, scalable pathway to energy security and broader socioeconomic development. Nuclear Expansion Across Africa Currently, Africa's nuclear energy development is concentrated in six countries – Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa. Of these, four have recently signed nuclear cooperation agreements with China. In September 2024, Nigeria entered high-level discussions with China on peaceful nuclear energy cooperation, covering the full project lifecycle – from research and training to construction and plant decommissioning. Earlier that year, Nigeria also signed an MoU with the CNNC aimed at operationalizing nuclear power plants by the 2030s. Ghana followed suit with a deal to deploy China's Hualong One reactor, while Kenya continues to pursue its longstanding 2015 agreement with China to develop a 1,000 MW plant by 2034. The International Atomic Energy Agency projects a 58% increase in nuclear energy use in Africa by 2030, with a tenfold increase by 2050. With more than 600 million people on the continent lacking electricity access, China's nuclear partnerships are positioned to close critical power gaps while supporting shared decarbonization goals. Against this backdrop, African Energy Week (AEW) 2025: Invest in African Energies serves as a pivotal platform for advancing nuclear energy collaboration between Africa, China and other global partners. Building on existing partnerships and recent MoUs, AEW will facilitate high-level discussions on technology transfer, investment frameworks and regulatory readiness to accelerate nuclear deployment in key African markets. These conversations will align national nuclear ambitions with China's global expertise, ensuring that energy security, sustainability and sovereignty are at the core of future collaborations. AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit for more information about this exciting event. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
South China Morning Post
10-04-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Chinese nuclear giant's recruitment boast sparks backlash from young jobseekers
Nearly 1.2 million Chinese university students have applied for 8,000 positions at China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), a prominent state-owned conglomerate, during a recruitment drive on campuses, underscoring the stiff competition young people face in today's job market. Advertisement CNNC, China's civilian and military nuclear giant, sparked a public backlash after proudly announcing last weekend that it had received 1.196 million résumés from young jobseekers during its recently concluded recruitment campaign. That equates to about 150 candidates per vacancy. A record 12.22 million students are expected to graduate from universities and colleges this summer. CNNC's announcement, posted on its WeChat social media account on Saturday, boasted of the 'strong magnetic effect' of its ability to lure top students and its role in injecting sustainable momentum into industry-academia integration and innovation. But it quickly sparked a wave of criticism, with many calling it offensive and arrogant and some accusing CNNC of 'showing off its attractiveness'. Advertisement 'This push is so offensive. The pain of job-hunting for fresh graduates shouldn't be a company's source of pride,' said Lisa Bai, a university student in Shanghai. Finding suitable employment remains a challenge for many young people in China amid economic headwinds, including an intensifying trade war with the United States.
South China Morning Post
18-03-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Chinese nuclear scientists identify flaw in Nasa's lunar reactor design
Chinese nuclear engineers have discovered a critical inefficiency issue in Nasa's lunar nuclear reactor design – but, they claim, minor structural adjustments could slash fuel consumption by 75 per cent while boosting power output and longevity. Advertisement The findings, from a study led by Zhao Shouzhi, chief reactor designer at the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), have already been integrated into China's lunar base reactor programme – a development that could tilt the ongoing moon race in Beijing's favour. China's lunar reactor, as outlined in the team's peer-reviewed paper published in the Chinese journal Atomic Energy Science and Technology, can generate 40 kilowatts of electric power for more than a decade. It leverages ring-shaped fuel rods and yttrium hydride moderators to overcome the limitations that plague traditional designs. The dual-sided annular fuel rod – which can easily be produced by major nuclear companies including US firm Westinghouse – encases uranium dioxide pellets in stainless steel cladding, allowing simultaneous neutron moderation and heat dissipation on both inner and outer surfaces, according to Zhao and his colleagues. Stable at extreme temperatures, the yttrium hydride moderator minimises the hydrogen leakage risks that destabilised earlier zirconium hydride systems.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
China May Be Ready to Use Nuclear Fusion for Power by 2050
(Bloomberg) -- China aims to commercialize nuclear fusion technology for use in emissions-free power generation by 2050, according to the country's state-owned atomic company. Cuts to Section 8 Housing Assistance Loom Amid HUD Uncertainty Remembering the Landscape Architect Who Embraced the City NYC Office Buildings See Resurgence as Investors Pile Into Bonds Hong Kong Joins Global Stadium Race With New $4 Billion Sports Park NJ Transit to Deploy Customer-Service Teams After Record Delays China National Nuclear Corp., which runs an experimental device dubbed the 'artificial sun', could start commercial operation of its first power generation project about five years after a demonstration phase starting around 2045, it said in a media briefing on Friday. The Asian nation has recently stepped up its ambitions in achieving nuclear fusion, a process by which the sun and other stars generate energy and that is considered a near-infinite form of clean energy. It is notoriously difficult to carry out in a sustained and usable manner and only a handful of countries like the US, Russia and South Korea have managed to crack the basics. CNNC last year formed an industry alliance and set up a new national fusion company, the China Fusion Corp. It has attracted about 1.75 billion yuan ($240 million) in investment from CNNC and Zhejiang Zheneng Electric Power Co. for cutting-edge tokamak devices, which use magnetic fields to confine and control superheated plasma to produce power without emissions or significant radioactive waste. CNNC also plans to scale up production of its homegrown designs for regular nuclear fission reactors and small modular reactors over the next five years, the company's Vice General Manager Xin Feng said at the briefing. China is set to leapfrog the US and France as the owner of the world's biggest reactor fleet by 2030. About 10 new reactors have been approved every year since power shortages emerged in 2022 and the country is expected to keep up that pace through 2030 to meet climate goals, CNNC said on Friday. Listen on Zero: Nuclear Fusion Is Unlimited Clean Power. So When Can We Have It? Rich People Are Firing a Cash Cannon at the US Economy—But at What Cost? Trump's SALT Tax Promise Hinges on an Obscure Loophole Walmart Wants to Be Something for Everyone in a Divided America The US Is Withdrawing From Global Health at a Dangerous Time Warner Bros. Movie Heads Are Burning Cash, and Their Boss Is Losing Patience ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Sign in to access your portfolio
