China ’s nuclear programme is very ambitious. In 2009, China began to construct six NPP, and construction of 11 more began in 2010. It is planned to build 52 new reactors over the next five years, although after Fukushima a hold was placed on new licence applications and the programme has slowed. Meanwhile, the volume of China’s radioactive waste (RAW) is predicted to increase up to 10-fold by 2020, mostly from its 80 GW capacity new build plan. A £10 billion investment in research into radioactive waste management and repository investigation has been included in the next National 5-10 Year Plan in Science & Technology for the overall national energy programme in China.

China is also developing its own fast neutron reactor, with some signifi­cant breakthroughs in Generation IV reactors. In particular, China’s Experi­mental Fast Reactor (CEFR) developed by the China Institute of Atomic Energy and Nuclear Power Research Institute under China National

Nuclear Co. (CNNC) achieved criticality in July 2010, making China the eighth country to develop fast reactor technology. This fast reactor project uses sodium as a coolant to generate 65 MWe (thermal) and 20 MW (elec­tric) power and has been financially supported by China ’s National 863 Research Programme.