The People’s Republic of China is set to build around 40 domestic nuclear power plants over the next five years, the country’s Government has said.

The country’s 13th five year plan period, running from 2016 to 2020, includes provisions for building six to eight new nuclear power plants a year.

If all goes according to plan, the country will aim to increase its output to ten plants a year past 2020.

British energy policymakers will be eyeing China’s domestic nuclear power programme with interest after the country’s government signed a deal to finance the next generation of UK nuclear power.

Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping signed the £40bn UK deal as part of a series of investment accords in a visit to the UK in October.

The deal will see the state-owned General Nuclear Corporation take a two-thirds stake in the Bradwell nuclear power plant, where a Chinese-designed nuclear reactor is planned.

A one-third stake will be taken in Hinkley Point, a plant run by the French state-owned firm EDF. A one-fifth stake will be taken in a project at the Sizewell plant.

David Cameron goes for a pint with Xi Jinping Show all 4 1 /4 David Cameron goes for a pint with Xi Jinping David Cameron goes for a pint with Xi Jinping Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron and China's President Xi Jinping leave The Plough at Cadsden pub in Cadsden Reuters David Cameron goes for a pint with Xi Jinping British Prime Minister David Cameron drinks a pint with Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) at a pub near Chequers, Buckinghamshire David Cameron goes for a pint with Xi Jinping Prime Minister David Cameron drinks a pint with Chinese President Xi Jinping at The Plough Inn at Cadsden in Princes Risborough, near to Cameron's country retreat at Chequers David Cameron goes for a pint with Xi Jinping Xi-Jinping-pub Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron, drinks beer with Chinese President Xi Jinping, at a pub in Princess Risborough, near Chequers

David Cameron hailed the deal as “historic” and said the new plants would provide “reliable” power to homes and businesses.

Meanwhile, China’s £385bn domestic programme represents a large increase in nuclear power use in the country.

Mainland China currently has 30 nuclear power reactors in operation and 22 under construction, according to the World Nuclear Association.

A three-fold increase in generating capacity is planned by 2020-21, with the part aim of reducing reliance on coal and the air pollution it causes.

Nuclear power does not release carbon or particulates into the atmosphere. It however creates toxic and mildly radioactive waste which must be stored indefinitely at significant cost. Clean-up costs for nuclear power stations are also high and often hidden from initial estimates.

It is also common for nuclear power projects to experience significant delays and to go wildly over-budget.