Repower Initiative has launched a new collaboration with Dr. Yaoli Zhang of Xiamen University to advance open knowledge resources supporting coal-to-nuclear (C2N) repowering in China.
Under a significant grant from Repower to Dr. Zhang, the C2N Open Knowledge Project will develop practical tools, datasets, and technical resources that can help stakeholders better understand, evaluate, and explore coal-to-nuclear repowering opportunities. The project will focus on creating openly accessible knowledge that can support researchers, engineers, utilities, policymakers, and other organisations working on energy transition pathways.
Planned activities include:
- province-level mapping of repowering opportunities;
- plant-level pre-feasibility assessments;
- technical and economic case studies;
- design frameworks; and
- workshops and engineer training activities.
Together, these resources are intended to strengthen the technical foundations needed to advance coal repowering from research and analysis towards real-world implementation.
A shared commitment to practical solutions
At the Repower World Summit 2025, Dr. Zhang highlighted both the scale of the challenge and the opportunity presented by repowering:
“We have many coal-fired power plants, and we want to make them cleaner. The steam cycle of a coal plant is very similar to that of a nuclear plant. We can repower a coal plant by replacing its boiler with a nuclear reactor.”
— Dr. Yaoli Zhang, Associate Professor, College of Energy, Xiamen University, and Deputy Dean, Fujian Research Center for Nuclear Engineering, in a Repower interview at the Repower World Summit 2025, Katowice, Poland
Coal-to-nuclear repowering is attracting growing international interest as countries seek pathways that can reduce emissions while preserving valuable infrastructure, existing grid connections, industrial capabilities, and skilled workforces. As many coal-fired power plants across Asia remain relatively young assets, identifying practical transition pathways that maintain jobs and energy system stability is becoming an increasingly important area of research and development.
The collaboration reflects Repower Initiative’s broader mission to accelerate the clean repowering of coal-fired power plants through evidence-based analysis, international cooperation, and practical solutions. By developing open knowledge resources and encouraging collaboration between technical experts and decision-makers, the project aims to contribute to the growing global effort to transform existing coal infrastructure into clean energy opportunities.
We look forward to working with Dr. Zhang and his team as this collaboration develops and to sharing future updates on the project’s progress.
