From now until 2020, two to three 1,000 megawatt reactors will be put into commission every year, the China Daily said, citing the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.

"We are speeding up development of nuclear power because it is clean and green energy," said Zhang Fubao, deputy department director of China Atomic Energy Authority.

The goal is to boost combined capacity from the current 8,700 megawatts to 40,000 megawatts by the year 2020, the paper said, up from a previously announced 2020 target of 36,000 megawatts.

In a readjustment of earlier plans, the Chinese authorities now seem more willing to consider expansion of its nuclear generating capacity to the interior, rather than concentrating on the east coast.

"Demand for the plants is outstripping supply with leading energy companies identifying new sites in inland regions, despite the government-stated priority for power stations in coastal areas," the paper said.

China relies on coal for 70 percent of its energy demands, but the recent economic boom has highlighted the risks of being so overly dependent on one energy source.

As the country's coalmines have been asked to ratchet up production to fuel the nation's production lines, fatal errors have been made, and a series of lethal mining accidents have happened in recent months.

Zhang said China plans to increase the proportion of its electricity generated by nuclear power from the current 2.4 percent to four percent in 15 years' time, according to the paper.

The average proportion among countries with nuclear power plants is 17 percent.