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Comment by grecy | Hacker News Reader

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grecy

> China also builds nuclear reactors, and we can't fall behind them

I, uh, have some uncomfortable news for you.

China are currently building 22 nuclear reactors [1]

China installed 230GW of solar and wind in 2023 [2]

China has over 40,000kms of High Speed Rail, and continues to expand [3]

By any measure, you're falling way behind them.

[1] https://www.economist.com/china/2023/11/30/china-is-building...

[2] https://www.asiafinancial.com/china-seen-installing-230-gw-o...

[3] https://www.statista.com/topics/7534/high-speed-rail-in-chin...

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Last I checked they're also outcompeting everyone in new coal plants https://www.npr.org/2023/03/02/1160441919/china-is-building-...

If I'm up against you in a beer drinking contest and I drink more beer AND more whisky than you... I still win the beer drinking contest.

Complete non-sequitur. OP said "China is building nuclear", not "China is building more nuclear than wind/solar".

Their capacity factors are getting ever lower and at the same time they added more renewables than the growth for the electricity grid.

In other words, their CO2 emissions are set for structural decline simply by the amount of renewables being built. China is way ahead of the west.

https://theguardian.com/business/2023/nov/13/chinas-carbon-e...

Some parts of the west already did that years ago in electricity production. For example carbon free electricity production shares in France (88%), Sweden (98%), Finland (90%), etc.

Though there is still a lot of work to do to go fully CO2 neutral due to cars, trucks, ships, planes, fertiliser production, etc.

My concern is that, since it's harmful to the planet and they're on track to be the largest economy, their absolute coal output is more relevant to the rest of the world than what percentage of its respective GDP it is. I don't necessarily blame them since their main priority is their own growth, but we're relying on their good will in 2030 without any way to enforce reduction if they change their mind.

> 230GW of solar and wind in 2023

Nameplate capacity. For actual average output, divide by 6.

And it doesn't even deliver that 1/6th consistently, so you unless you want blackouts you also need an alternative that delivers power reliably.

What I mean is China are installing vastly more solar than any other country. i.e the person I'm replying to is falling behind, which they didn't want to.

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