BEIJING: According to official media on Wednesday, China started operating the first gas-cooled, next-generation nuclear power station in the world for profit.
China launches fourth-generation nuclear reactor: The state news agency Xinhua reported that the Shidao Bay plant in eastern Shandong province achieves greater economy and efficiency by employing two high-temperature reactors cooled by gas instead of pressurized water.
Conventional reactors convert nuclear energy into electricity.
Small modular reactors, or SMRs, represent more advanced versions that offer various applications including steam production for industrial use, desalination, and heating.
Amidst strained relations with Western nations, China aims to break free from coal-fired power facilities and lessen its reliance on foreign technologies.
“Project manager Zhang Yanxu stated that China has designed over 90% of the equipment in the Shidao Bay plant.”
Additionally, The project commenced construction in 2012, and in 2021, they connected the first SMR to the electrical grid.
Proponents claim that because of its small and straightforward architecture—which lowers building costs and time—multi-use SMRs could be essential to the decarbonization and energy transition.
The International Atomic Energy Agency reports that currently, 18 different nations are developing more than 80 SMR projects.
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