Nuclear approvals at slower rate in China

China has announced that it will slow approvals of nuclear projects after the resumption, which is expected to take place this year, according to an industry expert from a national energy think tank. "China will be cautious in pursuing nuclear power and is likely to approve only three or four projects each year, compared with the boom in new projects during the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2005-2010)," said Xiao Xinjian, a nuclear industry expert at the national Energy Research Institute, affiliated with the National Development and Reform Commission.
The country had been accelerating its nuclear development since 2008, with 14 reactors approved in 2008 and six in 2009. Following the nuclear leak in Japan in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, the Chinese government announced a suspension of approvals for nuclear power stations. It also conducted rigorous safety checks at all nuclear projects, including those under construction. No new project was approved or started last year.