Shidaowan High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (HTGR) nuclear power plant starts operation in Shandong Province
A type of small module nuclear reactor… “Safety is an advantage”
The state-run Xinhua News Agency reported on the 6th that China has begun commercial operation of the world’s first 4th generation nuclear power plant.
According to reports, China’s National Energy Administration (Energy Management Administration) announced that the Shidaowan High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (HTGR) nuclear power plant in Longcheng, Shandong Province, has successfully completed 168 hours of continuous operation testing and has officially entered commercial operation.
Shidaowan Nuclear Power Plant is the world’s first fourth-generation nuclear power plant, and China has reached the world’s highest level in research, development and application of the technology, the National Energy Agency said. He added that China also owns all rights to the technology.
This project began in December 2012 and was jointly constructed by China’s Huaneng, Tsinghua University, and China Nuclear Industry Corporation (Nuclear Power Corporation). It was first connected to the power grid in December 2021, and this formal operation marks the transition to commercial operation at a stable power level.
HTGR nuclear power plant is a type of small module reactor (SMR) with the 4th generation nuclear technology and is recognized as having an advantage in terms of safety. It is expected to have high potential for commercial application in fields such as power generation, cogeneration/cooling, and high-temperature heating.
Zhang Zuoyi, head of Tsinghua University’s Nuclear New Energy Technology Research Institute and the chief designer of this nuclear power plant, said, “HTGR is a type of advanced reactor featuring fourth-generation nuclear technology and is the core development direction of nuclear power.” He added, “This reactor, which is characterized by safety, is capable of maintaining a safe state while “It can avoid melting or leaking of radioactive materials,” he told Xinhua.
“This ability is maintained without any adjustments even when cooling capacity is completely lost,” he said, adding, “It is of great significance in promoting safety as well as the scientific, technological, and innovative capabilities of China’s nuclear power development.”
Source: Donga
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