BEIJING China has approved expansion projects at three nuclear power plants, according to a statement from the State Council released on Monday (July 31).

Six new nuclear power generation units have been approved to expand three existing plants in Shandong province, Fujian province and Liaoning province, according to reporting from state-backed media outlet the Paper.

The State Council did not provide information regarding the expected generation capacity of the new nuclear units.

Total investment into the new units is estimated at 120 billion yuan (US$16.74 billion), according to the Paper.

Nuclear power accounts for just around 2.2%, or about 56 gigawatts, of China's total generation capacity, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. In 2020, China set out plans to increase total nuclear capacity to 70GW by 2025.

The latest announcement comes amid a concerted drive for energy security, as Beijing tries to shore up domestic power supply while pursuing the country's ambitious renewables build-out.

Nuclear power generation has a considerably smaller carbon footprint than fossil fuel plants, but can dispatch power more consistently and reliably than weather-dependent renewable sources such as wind or solar.

China approved 10 new nuclear projects last year, according to reporting by the Paper.

  - Reuters