Wang Naiyan, honorary chairman of the China Nuclear Society and a lead scientist at the China Institute of Atomic Energy, said top state leaders had responded positively to the plan to replace coal and natural gas heating plants in northern China with the reactors – small, simple nuclear heating plants with "zero meltdown risk".

Each winter, China chokes from the half a billion tonnes of coal it uses for heating – enough to power Britain for nearly three decades.

ndustry specialists warn that the biggest challenge would be getting public support for the swimming pool reactors, which are in theory safe enough to swim in.

"We nuclear scientists may think it is absolutely safe, but most people may still refuse to have a reactor on their doorstep," said Zhang Jige, associate professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University's school of nuclear science and technology.