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China powers up fourth-generation nuclear reactor in steady zero-carbon push
- Commissioning of HTGR reactor on Monday shows nation ‘is a world leader in nuclear power technology’, joint developer China National Nuclear Corporation says
- Construction of two more such reactors expected to begin next year amid efforts to decarbonise energy sector
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The first unit of China’s fourth-generation nuclear reactor has been connected to the national power grid – with two more to follow.
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The domestically developed high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) – at the Shidaowan nuclear power plant in China’s eastern Shandong province – is currently the world’s only one in commercial operation.
Jointly built by state-owned power giant China Huaneng Group, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and Beijing’s Tsinghua University, the reactor is made up of two small units with a total generation capacity of 200 megawatts (MW).
The second unit is still under construction and expected to begin commercial operations in mid-2022, according to China Huaneng Group.
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The commissioning of the reactor on Monday shows that “China has become one of the few countries in the world to master the fourth-generation nuclear technology and is a world leader in nuclear power technology”, CNNC said on its website.
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China is among countries that see nuclear technology as one way to decarbonise the energy sector. It had about 50 gigawatts (GW) of installed nuclear capacity at the end of last year, with another 18.5GW under construction.
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