China builds nuclear FAST, or does it?
A post appeared on X* seemingly suggesting, inferring maybe, that Nuclear Power plants can be built FAST. The piece quoted the #Hualong One reactor at Zhangzhou. Even though, deeper down in the post, it does explain that the ACTIUAL timeline was longer, but to the casual reader the inference was there, China can build em quick, why can't we?
Well, the answer is simple: Suggesting Australia could build nuclear power plants like China is akin to expecting Vegemite to taste like Peking duck—completely different systems and ingredients, here's why…
China's Speed vs. the Rest of the World
🚄 High-Speed Rail Network:
China: Built over 40,000 km of high-speed rail in just 15 years.
Australia: Debates about a Sydney-Melbourne high-speed rail line have dragged on for decades with no progress.
➡️ Point: China builds entire rail networks while Australia is stuck on feasibility studies. Comparing nuclear timelines? Laughable.
🏥 Hospital Construction During COVID-19:
China: Built a 1,000-bed hospital in Wuhan in 10 days.
Australia: Took months to set up smaller COVID-19 facilities.
➡️ Point: China's decision-making speed isn't comparable to Australia's bureaucracy.
🏙️ Skyscraper Construction:
China: Constructed the 632-meter Shanghai Tower in 7 years (including planning).
Australia: Crown Sydney took over 10 years and is significantly shorter.
➡️ Point: China operates on a totally different scale and pace.
⚓ Port Construction:
China: Built the world’s largest automated container terminal in Shanghai in 4 years.
Australia: Melbourne Port upgrade faced years of delays from planning/environmental issues.
➡️ Point: Infrastructure speed in China vs. Australia? Not even close.
🚇 Urban Metro Systems:
China: Cities like Chengdu & Shenzhen built metro systems in 5-10 years.
Australia: Sydney Metro took over a decade for a single line.
➡️ Point: Comparing nuclear timelines is like expecting Vegemite to taste like Peking duck.
🌍 China’s Unique Conditions:
Centralised planning, minimal public consultation, and cheap labor enable rapid execution.
Australia has safety standards, regulatory hurdles, and democratic processes designed for public accountability.
⚠️ Hidden Costs & Issues:
Many "fast" Chinese projects face quality issues, cost overruns, or abandonment (ghost cities, crumbling bridges).
➡️ Point: Building nuclear reactors quickly doesn’t guarantee success—it’s reckless to emulate.
So, the bottom line? It's not smart to compare China and Australia for such projects - Want to take a pay cut? The average worker on these sites works longer hours, relentless shifts and gets paid (if they are lucky) AUD 6.63 per hour and they don't stop for chitty chat. Also, nuclear power stations are not things you want to rush, remember the latest fiasco? The #Olkiluoto nuclear power station that even though shiny and new has had MULTIPLE accidents already?, ok, that's another story (Yes we will be covering it).
So, let's be clear, comparing China's speed to Australia is like expecting a koala to win a sprint against a cheetah—it's a mismatch in both ability and design.
Sources:
*Original post referred to: https://hypalnk.com/lcnna
Faults with new nuclear plant cause chaos on Nordic grids - Renew Economy: https://hypalnk.com/mzdk0