BEIJING — China has given the green light to construction of nuclear reactors employing a new domestically developed technology, state media has reported.

The announcement came in a statement issued after an executive meeting yesterday (April 15) of the State Council presided over by Premier Li Keqiang, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The statement said that the approval is “in line with global energy trends” and “will help optimise the country’s energy structure and build a diversified clean energy system”, according to Xinhua.

The Hualong One technology is the newest of the so-called “third generation” reactor designs, purported to be safer than previous builds because it allows a reactor to shut itself down in the event of overheating. The country has mandated that all future reactors must comply with third-generation standards.

Beijing in February gave the go-ahead to build the country’s first new reactors in over two years, following a pause in construction to assess the safety of its nuclear program in the wake of the March 2011 disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in north-eastern Japan.

The country’s nuclear program is among the world’s most ambitious, with industry watchers expecting Beijing to approve between six to eight reactors this year.

The industry has received a strong push in recent months from both Mr Li and Chinese President Xi Jinping, with both leaders saying that the sector is critical to the country’s future.

China has said it plans to build as much as 150 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2030 as it works to reduce its dependence on highly polluting coal-fired energy. KYODO NEWS