China plans to increase its installed capacity of nuclear power to 40 million kw by the year 2020, accounting for 4 percent of the country's total installed capacity at that time, a senior government official said Tuesday.

China's current installed nuclear power capacity takes up less than 2 percent of the total installed power generation capacity, compared with the world average of 17 percent, said Zhang Guobao, deputy director of the State Development and Reform Commission.

"It seems insignificant to expand the share to 4 percent, but it means a fast growth rate and needs tremendous efforts if we want to reach the goal," Zhang said at a press conference hosted by the Information Office of the State Council, the country's cabinet.

China now has 11 nuclear power generating units with a combined installed capacity of 8.7 million kw.

The nine nuclear generation units in operation include five in Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant in east China's Zhejiang Province and four in Daya Bay and Ling Ao Nuclear Power Plant in the southern province of Guangdong.

The other two units are under construction in Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant of Jiangsu Province, east China.

The total installed power generation capacity of China is expected to exceed 500 million kw this year as new units with a combined capacity of more than 65 million kw will be put into operation, Zhang said.

Some of the country's coastal regions have been experiencing power shortage in the past three years though monthly power supply has been growing at a two-digit rate for nearly 40 months in a row.

China's gross domestic product grew by 9.5 percent while power supply increased by the 15.3 percent last year. In the first half of this year, power supply increased by 13.2 percent year-on-year.

(Xinhua News Agency September 13, 2005)