DOE outlines Chinese commercial nuclear trade restrictions

The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued new guidelines focusing on restricting commercial nuclear trade with China.

Officials said the effort would restrict advanced reactor, small reactor technology (SMR) trade with China, while also placing limitations on China General Nuclear (CGN) trading activity. The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) is working to determine the impact of the new rules.

“The U.S. government has undertaken a thorough review of civil nuclear cooperation with China and developed a policy that seeks to balance national and economic security concerns with potential harms to our strategically important industry,” Dan Lipman, NEI vice president of Suppliers, New Reactors and International Programs, said. “NEI is working with our member companies to determine the scope of commercial impact from the policy framework. Given that various nuclear technologies will be shut out of the world’s largest market, that impact is clearly significant, and we are reviewing this very carefully.”

In addition to blocking transfers to China of advanced reactor and non-light water small reactor technology, officials said the new policy framework would also establish a presumption of denial for transfers to CGN, a Chinese energy company that constructs and operates nuclear power plants, and for all new technology transfers after Jan. 1, 2018.

The guidelines appear to have minimal impact on the approved transfer of large light water reactor technologies and components, such as those for the Westinghouse AP1000s currently operating in China.