China Developing Nuclear Energy

China has set its 2020 target for installed nuclear power capacity at 58,000 KW and set 2020 target for installed solar power capacity at 100,000 KW, China's Cabinet said on Friday. The growth of China's nuclear power industry will make it the world's biggest in 15 years, the World Nuclear Association (WNA) said last month, Reuters reported. The country will overtake France to have the second-largest number of nuclear reactors by 2020, according to WNA director general Agneta Rising. The country is also targeting 200 gigawatts in installed wind power by 2020. China’s push to develop nuclear energy comes from the need to improve air quality in its rapidly growing cities as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with international commitments. In a blueprint for controlling greenhouse gases between 2016 and 2020, the cabinet repeated that it will cut CO2 emission per unit of gross domestic product by 18% in 2020 from 2015.