China set to be top uranium user before 2030

China will surpass the United States as the world's largest consumer of uranium before 2030 as the nation's imports rise sharply to feed a growing nuclear industry, a senior energy official was quoted as saying by state media.

But Qian Zhimin, deputy administrator of the National Energy Administration, insisted that the country's forward planning in sourcing the fuel means China's rising demand will not cause the price of uranium to surge worldwide, a local newspaper reported. Qian said nuclear power could contribute 7 to 8 per cent of the nation's electricity output by 2020, higher than the government's target of 5 per cent. China imported 17,136 tonnes of uranium in 2010, tripling the level from a year earlier, the newspaper report said, citing data from the customs agency. China operates 13 nuclear reactors, with total power generating capacity of 10.8 gigawatts. It aims to start building 40 GW of new capacity from 2011 to 2015.