China is building nuclear reactors faster than the West. Can it keep up the pace?

China's nuclear reactor construction pace is significantly faster than Western countries, as evidenced by a visit to a Shanghai Electric plant by foreign nuclear engineers. At the plant, heavy machinery like steam generators and reactor cores were already assembled and ready for shipment, a stark contrast to Western supply chains that produce such components individually. Francois Morin, China director at the World Nuclear Association, highlighted this difference in construction capability. This observation underscores China's advanced manufacturing and logistical capacity in the nuclear sector, enabling them to prepare components well in advance of construction commencement.