{
  "id": 3752935,
  "title": "Why climate extremes will not stop expansion of China’s nuclear power industry",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/why-climate-extremes-will-not-stop-expansion-of-chinas-nuclear-power-3752935",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-08-27T14:00:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Reuters Business via SCMP",
    "slug": "reuters-business-via-scmp",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3365421/why-climate-extremes-will-not-stop-expansion-chinas-nuclear-power-industry"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "While Europe's nuclear power generation has been disrupted by extreme weather, China's rapid expansion in the sector appears unlikely to be derailed, according to an industry specialist. Unlike European reactors, which are mainly located along rivers and require vast quantities of cooling water, China's nuclear power plants are situated along the coast, allowing them to utilize open seawater for cooling. This makes Chinese reactors less vulnerable to drought and heatwaves. Francois Morin, China director of the World Nuclear Association, asserts that coastal areas face a range of weather threats, including storms and rising sea levels, but China has a good understanding of typhoons and they do not pose a significant threat to its nuclear reactors. Comprehensive safety measures, including design and engineering considerations, early warning and emergency response systems, and practical emergency exercises, have been implemented in China to mitigate the impact of extreme weather on its nuclear facilities. For instance, the Lufeng project in Guangdong province, designed to withstand typhoons, torrential rain, storm surges, and earthquakes, has proven resilient against multiple powerful typhoons. China's technological advancements, such as the development of next-generation reactor designs that require less water and use alternative coolants like liquid sodium or lead, may also enhance the resilience of its nuclear power sector to climate change effects. Despite being a latecomer to nuclear energy, China is now constructing reactors faster and at lower costs than its peers, with plans to become the world's largest nuclear power operator by installed capacity within five years.",
  "summary": "While extreme weather is disrupting nuclear power generation in some parts of the world, it is unlikely to derail China’s rapid expansion in the sector, according to an industry specialist. The unusually hot and dry summer has disrupted reactors across Europe, forcing units to shut down from France to Romania, as river levels have fallen and water temperatures risen. France – where nuclear…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Why climate extremes will not stop expansion of China’s nuclear power industry",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/why-climate-extremes-will-not-stop-expansion-of-chinas-nuclear-power",
        "published": "2026-08-27T14:00:10.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}