China marks key milestone in fourth-generation nuclear energy system

The world's first industrial-scale demonstration plant of high temperature gas-cooled reactor with pebble-bed module starts fuel loading on Aug 21. [Photo/WeChat account of CNNC]

The world's first industrial-scale demonstration plant of high temperature gas-cooled reactor with pebble-bed module, which was fully developed by China with independent intellectual property rights, started fuel loading on August 21, said its operator China National Nuclear Corporation.

With an installed capacity of 200 MW, the Shidaowan HTGR nuclear power plant demonstration project located in Rongcheng, Shandong province, is expected to get connected to grid and start power generation by the end of this year, said the company.

High-temperature gas-cooled reactors, globally known as the fourth-generation nuclear energy system, are believed to have broad development prospects.

The project started construction on December 9, 2012, and successfully completed the cold and hot test of double reactors on March 29, 2021. It obtained the operation license issued by the National Nuclear safety administration in August 2021. The project represents an important step in advancing the application of China's fourth-generation nuclear power technology and also marks that China is able to supply high-quality HTR-PM spherical nuclear fuel elements to power plants on a sustainable basis, said the company.