Veteran physicist has been one of the strongest advocates for waste-to-energy incineration in China
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenChao Kongin BeijingPublished: 12:00pm, 7 Jun 2026One 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.
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.
