Expansion Begins for World's First Fourth-Generation Nuclear Power Plant

Expansion of the world's first fourth-generation nuclear power plant, the Shidaowan HTGR, has commenced in Shandong Province, China. The project, with fully independent intellectual property rights, is a collaboration between China Huaneng Group, Tsinghua University, and China National Nuclear Corporation. The expansion includes integrating domestically developed third-generation pressurised water reactors alongside the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor.

Credit: CMG

This groundbreaking project, boasting fully independent intellectual property rights, is situated in Rongcheng County, Weihai City, and is a collaborative effort between China Huaneng Group, Tsinghua University, and China National Nuclear Corporation.

Featuring the pioneering high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, also recognised as the fourth-generation reactor, the plant commenced commercial operations last December. The initial phase of the expansion initiative involves integrating another domestically developed third-generation pressurised water reactor, Hualong One, alongside the gas-cooled reactor, as highlighted by Zhang Aijun, vice president of the HTGR Nuclear Power Company, Ltd, in an interview with China Media Group (CMG).

Credit: CMG

Zhang stated, "he first phase of the expansion project includes two units of Hualong One, our domestically developed third-generation nuclear reactors with independent intellectual property rights, each with a capacity of 1.2 million kilowatts,"

Upon completion, the plant is anticipated to produce 20 billion kilowatt-hours annually and extend heating services to an additional 20 million square metres, benefiting around 600,000 local residents.

Future development ideas include adding four more pressurised water reactors, each with a capacity of one million kilowatts. Once completed, the power plant's entire installed capacity will exceed five million kilowatts, with an annual generation capacity of 35 billion kilowatt-hours. This output is adequate to power over 17 million three-member households for a year, equivalent to offsetting 11.5 million tonnes of standard coal consumption and 27.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, according to Zhang.

Zhang further added, "We will maximise the effect of the third-generation pressurised water reactor and the fourth-generation high-temperature gas-cooled reactor integrated at the big base, further enhance China's nuclear power equipment manufacturing, construction, operation and maintenance capabilities, continuously expand the scenarios of comprehensive utilisation of nuclear energy, and cultivate and develop new quality productive forces in nuclear power,"

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• Expansion of the world's first fourth-generation nuclear power plant, the Shidaowan HTGR, has commenced in Shandong Province, China.

• The project, with fully independent intellectual property rights, is a collaboration between China Huaneng Group, Tsinghua University, and China National Nuclear Corporation.

• The expansion includes integrating domestically developed third-generation pressurised water reactors alongside the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor.

Source: CGTN