China PM: Nuclear is "safe reliable, mature tech"

China's Prime Minister, Wen Jiaobo said renewables and nuclear would cut China's coal use for power generation. (GETTY IMAGES)

China’s Prime Minister, Wen Jiaobo, has revealed the nation’s intention to go strong on renewables and nuclear power, as it attempts to cut usage of coal burning.

Talking at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, Jiaobo said that a commitment to renewables is: “important for promoting world economic recovery and prosperity,” adding that China is making “tireless efforts” in this regard.

“We have shut down 80GW of small coal power plants – equivalent to the power supply of a mid-size European country – and found new jobs for the 600,000 workers who were laid off as a result, saving 12 million tonnes of coal that would otherwise have been burned.”

He also said that the country was producing 200GW of power from hydroelectric sources – more than any other in the world – and that China is also the fastest-growing region for the production of energy through solar and wind. 10GW of energy is also being produced through nuclear facilities, and the country has 27 new plants in the pipeline, with Xiaobo describing nuclear power as: “safe, reliable and mature technology.”

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