China makes major progress in nuclear power tech

(ECNS) -- China-developed nuclear power plant demonstration project, High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor-Pebble-bed Module (HTR-PM), at the Shidaowan plant in China's Shandong province has been connected to the grid, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced on Monday.

It is the world's first fourth-generation high-temperature gas-cooled reactor nuclear power plant that has been combined to the grid.

High-temperature gas-cooled reactor won't melt, nor will it cause a large scale radioactive release during a accident. It features high temperatures, strong environmental adaptability, flexible multi-module combination, etc. So, it is renowned as "the safest nuclear power plant" in the world.

Its temperature parameters enable it to meet most of the heat source requirements in the fields of ethanol purification, salt-based chemical industry, petrochemical industry, coal chemical industry, hydrogen production and so on.

After the demonstration project is put into operation, it will further focus on the market of hydrogen, petroleum, water, heat and electricity in order to achieve carbon neutrality and peak the carbon emissions.

CNNC is now boosting a larger high-temperature gas-cooled reactor project.

China owns the key and core technologies of this nuclear power plant and has independently manufactured 93.4 percent of the equipment, according to CNNC.