China to resume construction of nuclear plants

China said it will resume building new nuclear power stations, which had been suspended since Japan's Fukushima disaster in March 2011, the state-run China Daily reported Thursday. According to a statement issued by the Chinese Cabinet on Wednesday, the country will resume construction of nuclear power plants "in a steady and orderly way" and "at a reasonable pace." An executive meeting of the State Council chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao approved two programs -- the national plan for nuclear power security (2011-2020) and nuclear power development (2011-2020), the newspaper said, adding that the Cabinet also approved national energy development program up to 2015. However, only a small number will be launched by 2015 and all of them will be located at coastal sites, and all new nuclear reactors must comply with the highest international safety standards, according to the plans. China is the world's second-biggest energy consumer after the US. Prior to the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which was triggered by the massive earthquake and tsunami, some energy officials indicated China would embark on as many as 40 nuclear energy projects during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15), and at least seven inland provinces applied to host plants. China's nuclear power generating capacity accounts for just 1.8 percent of its electricity, lower than the average 14 percent for countries that have nuclear power, according to a government white paper on energy policies that was also released on Wednesday. "The development of nuclear power is significant for the optimization of China's energy structure and will safeguard national energy security," the white paper said. It also addressed China's increasing dependence on imported oil and said its low energy reserves continue to threaten energy security. Robust economic growth in the past two decades has transformed the country from a net oil exporter to a major importer. Per capita energy consumption in China is about one-third of that of developed countries but will grow sharply, the white paper said.