Electric power industry of China: renewable energy sources or nuclear power plants
In 2024, 80 GW of new wind power plants and 277 GW of solar power plants will be connected to the grid in China. Is this a lot or a little? Considering that the capacity factor of wind power plants in China is 3.2 times less than the capacity factor of nuclear power plants, and the capacity factor of solar power plants is 5.9 times less, we get 80/3.2 + 277/5.9 = 72 GW.
In other words, the newly commissioned wind power plants and solar power plants will produce as much electricity as 72 nuclear power plant units of 1 GW each. Is China capable of commissioning a 72 GW nuclear power plant in a year? Unlikely, since in 2024 China commissioned 3 nuclear power plant units with a total capacity of 3.4 GW. This figure will, of course, increase in the next 5 years, but, in the best case, to an average of 7 GW per year, taking into account that 29 nuclear power plant units are currently under construction in China.