Shortage in nuclear power workforce plagues China

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HONG KONG--A significant shortfall in nuclear power engineers and administrators is nearing a critical stage in China, with 27 new reactors under construction.

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By NOZOMU HAYASHI / Correspondent
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Shortage in nuclear power workforce plagues China
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HONG KONG--A significant shortfall in nuclear power engineers and administrators is nearing a critical stage in China, with 27 new reactors under construction.

Under Beijing's long-term project to increase the number of China's nuclear power plants, 6,000 new hires are needed each year in the nuclear power sector, but only several hundred college students who meet the job requirements graduate in the entire nation every year.

Given that the July 23 high-speed train accident in Wenzhou that killed 40 people underscored China's inefficient system to train railway workers, concerns have also arisen that accidents could occur in a nuclear power industry lacking properly trained engineers and administrators.

The shortage of workers in the nuclear power sector was reported by Chen Shaomin, professor of the engineering physics department at Tsinghua University, at the 2nd China International Nuclear Symposium, held from Oct. 20-22 in Hong Kong. The event was organized by the Chinese Nuclear Energy Association, a leading nuclear power industry organization in China.

The engineering physics department at the school has been designated by the government as a special division to train nuclear power personnel.

Currently, 14 nuclear reactors are in operation in China, where about 14,000 engineers and administrators, as well as about 7,000 researchers, worked as of 2010. Twenty-seven new reactors are under construction--although approval of new construction projects has been suspended since the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant crisis--while 33 prospective sites are awaiting construction approval from the government.

According to Chen, 700 to 1,000 workers are required for each reactor. If all new reactors are built by 2020 as planned by the project, about 60,000 new recruits--which means 6,000 new workers each year on average--will be needed to keep reactors operational.

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