Beijing: China’s Vice Minister of Environmental Protection, Zhang Lijun, has said Beijing will continue developing nuclear power projects but will learn a lesson after the massive earthquake in Japan, which resulted in a radioactive leakage.
Zhang said, “China has 13 sets of functional nuclear power equipment and tests have shown all of them are safe,” adding that the country was keeping a close eye on developments related to the impact of the earthquake on Japan’s nuclear facilities.
He said: “Some lessons we learn from Japan will be considered in the making of China's nuclear power plans, but China will not change its determination and plan for developing nuclear power.”
According to the government's draft, 12th Five-Year Plan, China will launch nuclear energy projects with a combined generation capacity of 40 million kilo watts, from 2011 to 2015 and new plants will be planned in central regions in addition to boosting the construction of nuclear power plants in the coastal areas.
Zhang said China had been monitoring the possible influence of nuclear leaks from Japan in coastal cities and tests have shown that it has not been affected so far.
ANI
First Published: Saturday, March 12, 2011, 16:39