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China has officially joined the Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy, a global initiative supported by over 30 countries, signaling significant opportunities for Chinese nuclear power companies to expand internationally. The announcement was made by Shan Zhongde, head of the China Atomic Energy Authority, during the second Nuclear Energy Summit in Paris on March 10.
The central goal of the declaration is to triple worldwide nuclear power capacity by 2050 compared to 2020, aiming to help the world reach net-zero emissions by the middle of the century. This initiative was originally launched by 22 nations—including France, the U.S., and the UK—during the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference held earlier this year. Since then, additional countries such as China, Brazil, and Belgium have joined, raising the total participating nations to 38.
The global landscape of nuclear energy is experiencing significant shifts, with more than 30 countries committing to the goal of tripling their nuclear power capacity. Notably, the United States has proposed increasing its nuclear capacity fourfold. Meanwhile, nations like Germany, which had previously scaled back or ceased nuclear energy programs, are re-evaluating their policies. These developments create fresh opportunities for China to forge international partnerships and support its nuclear industry’s global growth.
Nuclear energy, known for being a clean and stable resource, is considered a promising long-term alternative to fossil fuels. However, following the nuclear disaster at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi plant in 2011, many nations either paused or slowed their nuclear development efforts. China did not approve new nuclear projects for eight years after Fukushima but resumed construction in 2019.
In recent years, China has maintained a steady pace of nuclear expansion, approving around 10 new units annually from 2022 through 2025, with investments surpassing 800 billion yuan (over $116 billion). By the end of last year, the country operated or was building 112 nuclear reactors, totaling approximately 125 gigawatts of installed capacity—the largest in the world.
Last year, Chinese nuclear plants produced about 480 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, representing roughly 4.8% of the country’s total power generation and 2% of its overall energy consumption, based on data from the National Energy Administration.
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