The Chinese Atom

Рет қаралды 6,850

Күн бұрын

While the west struggles to deliver nuclear plants and dreams about novel reactor technologies China is deploying it all: large LWR, SMR and MSR/HTGR. World Nuclear Association China lead Francois Morin joins me to catch us up on recent developments and trends.
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Learn more about Decouple Media: www.decouplemedia.org
Chapters:
00:00:00 - Is China the Future of Nuclear Energy? | Francois Morin on Decouple
00:03:35 - Drivers of China's Nuclear Energy Growth & Coal Consumption Trends
00:07:22 - China's Renewable Energy Boom: Solar, Wind, and Hydropower Capacity
00:11:23 - Geographic Distribution of Nuclear Power in China & Provincial Reliance
00:13:53 - China's Energy Security Concerns & Dependence on Oil and Gas Imports
00:16:16 - China's Emerging Role as a Nuclear Exporter: Challenges and Opportunities
00:22:26 - Geopolitical Factors Influencing China's Energy Strategy & Alliances
00:24:02 - Addressing Public Concerns and the Future of Inland Nuclear Plants in China
00:29:36 - China's Diverse Nuclear Reactor Technologies & the Rise of Hualong One
00:34:11 - Comparing EPR and AP1000 Nuclear Reactors in China: Costs and Construction Times
00:43:44 - Understanding Nuclear Construction Challenges & the Limits of Modularity
00:54:10 - Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in China: Use Cases and Design Diversity
00:59:12 - Addressing Safety Concerns and Emergency Planning Zones for SMRs
01:01:03 - Exploring the Rationale for China's SMR Strategy & Remote Applications
01:04:19 - High-Temperature Gas Reactors & Molten Salt Reactors in China's Nuclear Future
01:06:34 - Impact of Export Controls on China's Nuclear Technology and Hualong One
01:07:50 - Lessons from Japan's Rapid Nuclear Deployment & China's Supply Chain Capacity
01:10:59 - Optimizing China's Nuclear Sector: Collaboration and Regulatory Oversight
01:13:59 - Uranium Fuel Constraints & Long-Term Prospects for China's Nuclear Expansion

Пікірлер: 94

@vide7334 23 күн бұрын

A dive into the Chinese Thorium project appreciated.

@StephenYuan 20 күн бұрын

What is there to say? They have a small pilot reactor project going in the desert. It's producing power. Mainly I think they're trying to work out corrosion issues. Thorium is highly corrosive. If everything goes smoothly they will move forward with wider implementation of the tech in ten years or so.

@xinfuxia3809 17 күн бұрын

It takes years to verify the reliability since reactors are supposed to run for decades.

@jeffbenton6183 14 күн бұрын

I was honestly expecting them to bring that up when they brought up China's lack of domestic natural uranium.

@gunsumwong3948 18 күн бұрын

This is a gem for anyone wishing to know about Chinese nuclear industry. Morin's figures on power generation in China are spot on with what I have recorded. He is also able to rely why the Chinese nuclear industry has been arranged the way it is now. Keefer, the Canadian guy shows little specific technical knowledge other than where are the weak points of China so that sanction can be applied like the transportation routes, dependency on import and lack of uranium.

@shiulai5804 18 күн бұрын

He is routing for Candu, as a Canadian.

@billcampbell1292 24 күн бұрын

Please have him back!!!! Tremendous impact on your business model

@gregorymalchuk272 23 күн бұрын

1:00:00 Nuclear steam from district heating networks can also be used to drive absorption chillers for air conditioning and refrigeration during the summer to increase the utilization, sales, and profitablity.

@francoismorin1739 2 күн бұрын

District heating system from standard PWR is not the same as heat from pool reactors the temperature of which is limited at 90°C, not enabling all functions you mention.

@paullafreniere3393 23 күн бұрын

A Renaissance man with impeccable energy knowledge based on experience not interests. Give us more

@phillipwatts7226 23 күн бұрын

Excellent interview great in-depth discussion of China nuclear industry

@kielcemen 23 күн бұрын

At last something about Chinese nuclear. They do well; we should at least watch, what they do.

@robertr.hasspacher7731 13 күн бұрын

Why would fuel availability ever be an issue? Breeder reactors and thorium cycle are infinity fuel

@microburn 21 күн бұрын

Thanks for the upload!

@davidpetzer5725 23 күн бұрын

Great podcast !! Pleas get Kirk Sorenson on around Flibe energy . Thorium breeder / super crtical CO2 .

@wgavacado 23 күн бұрын

"I'm just kidding.. maybe" 50:05 xD!!

@rafamaszkowski6796 20 күн бұрын

Very interesting, as usual. The 2nd part should be about the long term plans, if they are any (how they could exist be in Beijing?). The next parts should say something about the Republic of China plans and about the closed cycle plans both in RoC and Beijing.

@francoismorin1739 2 күн бұрын

Good point. China plans to have closed cycle. It is why it started construction of two Fast Breeders (right in front of Taiwan) together with 2 reprocessing plants in remote Gansu province + Mox factory. The implementation of such plan is complex as it requires a precise management of used fuel+fast neutron reactor deployment.

@larrybutler8794 23 күн бұрын

Again please tell us about the US Navies neuclear program. Many small reactors at sea.

@NomenNescio99 22 күн бұрын

Naval reactors use highly enriched uranium which never would be allowed for civilian use. The cost of the naval reactors are also 10 - 100x times more expensive than what would acceptable for a civilian reactor

@tedchandran 23 күн бұрын

Jai Hind. We Indians keep hearing that China is collapsing in our Western led media almost everyday. So there should be zero or negative growth in energy consumption. Why are the energy consumption especially coal still increasing?

@luting3 23 күн бұрын

Because they are just generating to help keep earth warm.

@info88w11 22 күн бұрын

manufacturing weapons

@TheDanEdwards 22 күн бұрын

"We Indians keep hearing that China is collapsing in our Western led media almost everyday. " - don't believe everything you hear.

@lance8080 21 күн бұрын

Go back to snake charming 👳🏾‍♂️

@wuyuan6329 21 күн бұрын

电力

@josephdewuhan 17 күн бұрын

Talking about total chinese co2 emission is irrelevant. One should compare the per capita number. Also, as the world factory, they necessarily need to use more power to produce all sorts of goods for the whole world.

@francoismorin1739 2 күн бұрын

Yes, not only because of factories. New demand like Data centers, IA, EV grows faster than Nuclear production

@bearowen5480 17 күн бұрын

The implied or underlying premise for the growing interest in nuclear powered electrical energy production is that it is generally desirable to primarily reduce the use of hydrocarbons, diminish carbon emissions, and thus decrease anthropogenic global warming regardless of cost to the consumer. The premise is flawed. Despite all the international climate change hysteria, the existence of anthropogenic causes of general atmospheric and oceanic warming is still an open scientific question. The risks to human life and prosperity of Draconian shifts away from the use of hydrocarbons for electrical power generation and transportation are far greater than modest future global temperature fluctuations within geophysically historic ranges. The best policies are those that allow market economics, specifically the pricing efficiencies of all the energy source options, to determine which should be used without government intervention through subsidies or fiats. Atmospheric pollution and negative environmental impacts such as for example acid rain, unhealthy chemically active particulates, or dangerous levels of mercury vapor pollution should obviously influence policy from a public health perspective. Nevertheless, if economically available scrubbing or other mitigation systems can cost effectively eliminate these adverse effects, coal and natural gas powered generation plants should be allowed to compete on a level economic playing field with wind, solar, hydro, and nuclear energy sources.

@francoismorin1739 2 күн бұрын

Yes, it is what happens in China. Coal and other fossil fuels plants are allowed. The number of new coal plants exceeds the one of new reactors by 6 to 7 times (in capacity)

@riderpaul 20 күн бұрын

It takes time to switch to renewables. At least China is heading in the right direction. Not sure we can say that about the United States. The utter lack of investment here in the US is pathetic. And then we've become cry babies, complaining the China is actually doing something other than vulture capitalism which is the US specialty.

@ryccoh 22 күн бұрын

This is interesting, if accounting for China's scale in comparison to use they're not getting close to the speed of deployment that several western countries achieved back in the day. I don't quite understand why. My hunch is that there's already a centralized nuclear regulatory entity that's a bottleneck. I don't quite know American nuclear history well but I'm guessing that back then they were established guidelines and practices but it was left up more to the companies to make good on them instead of having a single entity verifying everything

@Waldemarvonanhalt 21 күн бұрын

At the moment the politburo probably feels it's easier and quicker to build out coal plants and start relying more on nuclear once coal is no longer that cost-effective.

@ryccoh 21 күн бұрын

@@Waldemarvonanhalt they're asking for ten reactors a year, double what they're getting through their nuclear regulator

@nielsharksen78 19 күн бұрын

From the comments of a very well informed associate, the regulator is indeed the limit at the moment. A secondary limit are sites, since China has stopped approving inland sites after Fukushima. Hopefully, both bottlenecks will disappear soon so coal is replaced. Even the much smaller US economy and population of the 70s was starting construction on more reactors than China during the best years.

@ryccoh 18 күн бұрын

@@nielsharksen78 How in the world could sites be limited in real sense? It seems they caught the nuclear fear bug

@shiulai5804 18 күн бұрын

@@nielsharksen78 Regulations nowadays are more stringent than in the 70s, as they should.

@daveg5857 8 күн бұрын

Why do people insist on using nuclear as a noun?

@francoismorin1739 2 күн бұрын

You are right, it is a too easy solution, well spread. It should remain an adjective, but we can't fight on all fronts simultaneously!

@chapter4travels 23 күн бұрын

What will they do with all of this electricity generation when their economy collapses within the coming decade?

@cheeseandjamsandwich 23 күн бұрын

We'll be able to turn off the dirtiest of the dirty generation... So coal, gas, oil generation will be shuttered first. Once you've got it, it's 'cheap'' to run. And it's a 100+ year asset too... So when we are skint, at least we have some energy. I totally agree that the planet is gonna be facing a LOT of shit in the next decades, which will collapse a lot of things, in varying ways, by varying amounts... But as energy is the foundation of almost everything we do, the generation of it will be protected the most. If we've built it. It's safe, and great! We just need to realise that we actually have to build a LOT of it VERY quickly, so that we minimise the shit that's coming our way, that we caused.

@chrisruss9861 23 күн бұрын

You never have too much electricity for long.

@paradox_1729 23 күн бұрын

It seems the Chinese have no interest in becoming hippies without technology growth like many in west is pining for.

@bobdeverell 23 күн бұрын

Economy collapse ? Sounds like an American dream rather than reality !

@vilas69 23 күн бұрын

/sarcasm Right? It must be...

@magnuszerum9177 18 күн бұрын

The Tofu Dreg construction, corruption, and potential damage from failed dams are the primary issues with Chinese nuclear, but then again, that isn't a nuclear specific issue.

@coolspace2786 18 күн бұрын

modified kumar crying about

@lengould9262 11 күн бұрын

Insanity. More bridges and buildings collapse in the US than in China.

@francoismorin1739 2 күн бұрын

please read my comment below to planetFrosty

@stephenbrickwood1602 23 күн бұрын

Electricity is a grid problem. Get the right experts, Medical doctors have their limits.

@acwojtkowiak 23 күн бұрын

This is one of the best podcasts around, the guests are frequently multidisciplinary experts with good communication skills. Consider it a blessing that the host is somewhat a renaissance man himself and brings out the best from his guests.

@stephenbrickwood1602 23 күн бұрын

@@acwojtkowiak what did he say about the grid costs with grid electricity?? Do you remember ?

@VarieTea729 23 күн бұрын

@@stephenbrickwood1602We're not here to do your homework, Stephen. How about you watch the episodes instead of spamming your unrelated talking points for once?

@stephenbrickwood1602 23 күн бұрын

@VarieTea729 Yes, I have watched it. They said nothing about the grid costs. They spoke about the continuing high costs of plant construction. And the long time frames. Grid costs discussion, nothing. I am not spamming, I am talking facts. Investigate yourself. It is a real problem.

@stephenbrickwood1602 23 күн бұрын

@VarieTea729 grid matters 15% to 100% is x7 times more electricity and GRID capacity. Grids cost $1million per km Little Australia has 1 million km = $7TRILLION. National GDP $1TRILLION. Plus generation plant costs. 100 years to build the existing grid. X7 ?? Raw materials are an impossible problem, ...... China has a bigger problem.

@PlanetFrosty 18 күн бұрын

China’s development at what cost considering the French reactors are questionable in construction anomalies and still indications of radiation leakage near Shenzhen according an engineer friend who fears catastrophic disaster is imminent. French government has pulled all out of projects due to anomies. Tofu nuclear is bad idea and this guy sounds like a tanker rather than honest agent/engineer representing safe nuclear power. China is largely a Ponzi scheme that’s collapsing with real debt approaching 400% of GDP. Starvation spreading throughout portions of China similar to early stages of Cultural Revolution.

@josephdewuhan 17 күн бұрын

You are sleep talking. Hopefully not sleep walking at the same time.

@bellakrinkle9381 10 күн бұрын

Worldwide 🌐 we haven't seen anything yet.

@francoismorin1739 3 күн бұрын

You may confuse some past private constructions with state companies following governmental standard. CNN did the same mistake interviewing me some years ago. They were comparing the small primary schools in Sichuan, that were built outside of all rules and fell down during 2008 earthquake, to nuclear power plants. This is ridiculous. Even back in 1987-1988, for the construction of the first Dayabay reactor, Chinese knew well that their own cement/concrete was not suitable, so the entire concrete/steel was imported from abroad, reducing the Chinese part to 2% of the whole plant. Many airports and railway stations have been designed by foreign architects & engineers in China. As the famous Pudong airport in Shanghai. Foreigners are quite confident in their own structural calculations. However, the Chinese have always multiplied per 2 the safety margins, regardless of the cost. Propaganda, anti-propaganda, all this is nice and even fun sometimes. But it works better when it is based on facts and knowledge!