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Current Affairs

China’s nuclear weapons scientist Du Xiangwan clarifies role in nation’s war on waste

One of China’s most prominent nuclear scientists has publicly clarified his role in the country’s rapidly expanding waste-to-energy sector, following years of speculation linking nuclear…

By Samantha Johnson / June 7, 2026
One of China’s most prominent nuclear scientists has publicly clarified his role in the country’s rapidly expanding waste-to-energy sector, following years of speculation linking nuclear weapon technologies to municipal waste incineration.

In a June 2 press release from the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), veteran nuclear weapons physicist and CAE academician Du Xiangwan confirmed that he and his team had been engaged in research and consulting relating to the development of the pilot “zero-waste cities” project.

The initiative is a key component of China’s environmental strategy aiming to eliminate rubbish and historical landfills.

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But Du stated that he had never taken part in projects applying nuclear technology to waste incineration or authorised any organisation or individual to do so.

The clarification comes after years of online discussion suggesting that China’s waste-incineration industry benefited from expertise originally developed for the country’s nuclear weapons and submarine programmes.

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Some commentators popularised the idea with the phrase “using nuclear submarine technology to burn rubbish”, arguing that engineering concepts from the nuclear sector – including systems engineering, thermal design methods and strict operational management practices – helped shape China’s waste-to-energy industry.

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