China which has the most ambitious growth planned for nuclear energy is already rethinking its target 3 weeks after the Fukushima plant in Japan started spewing out radioactivity.Note there has been a strong global backlash against nuclear energy around the world and 7 nuclear plants in Germany have been closed all but in name.Other countries like South Korea,Italy,Switzerland are rethinking of what do about their nuclear reactors giving the massive tail risks with nuclear generation.Already 2 earlier nuclear disasters in Chernobyl and Three Mile Island had massively damaged the surrounding ecosystem poisoning humans and animals alike with radiation.Japan too may see its land areas near the reactors be quarantined for many years as TEPCO has failed to control the nuclear plant and government will probably pour concrete.
China which has a very small target of only 20 GW of solar by 2020 may boost its 5 GW target by 2015 plan.Note China installed more than 15 GW of Wind Energy in 2010 alone becoming the world’s largest Wind Energy Market by far.Solar Energy strongly lags Wind in China despite China having the biggest solar panel manufacturing industry in the world.Its Golden Sun and other Solar Subsidy programs have been small in absolute terms compared to its huge electricity capacity.However things may be changing as it reduces its 80 GW target for nuclear energy by 2020.Note China has also reported minor problems with its nuclear plants near Hong Kong earlier.China might give additional subsidies or FIT to boost energy production from solar farms though no target has been specified.China has already learnt from the disaster unlike USA and India which continues their short sighted policies
China may lift its 5-year goal for solar power capacity from five gigawatts (GW) to 10 GW by 2015, a National Energy Administration (NEA) official told Xinhua Wednesday.
Shi Lishan, deputy director of the renewable energy department of the NEA, confirmed a media report on the possible adjustment of photovoltaic (PV) industry’s future capacity.
In light of recent nuclear crisis in Japan, the revision is likely to be approved though it is still under discussion, according to an article from the Wednesday edition of the China Securities Journal.
China may fine tune its nuclear power development plan, as the nuclear crisis in Japan has triggered safety concerns, the article said.
Shortly after Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant was crippled by a massive earthquake-triggered tsunami in March 11, which led to radioactive leak, the State Council, or China’s cabinet, said it would “adjust and improve” China’s nuclear plan and has already suspended its approval process for new nuclear power stations.
However, officials have not yet indicated any possible change for the country’s long-term nuclear energy plan.
China plans to use non-fossil fuels to supply 15 percent of its total power by 2020, up from the current level of 8 percent. Nuclear power is expected to account for 4 percent of the country’s power needs
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They continue to pump millions of gallons of water over the reactor cores and over the spent fuel rods in these various power plants. They have no way of capturing and holding this water that is contaminated and cleaning it before it is going to flow back into the ocean or seep down into the fresh water table there in Japan.