China's New Nuclear Fission Technology

Wednesday - October 18 2023, 01:59 UTC - 1 year ago

China is developing over $100 billion of new nuclear fission power. China has started operation of one CFR600, a sodium pooled generation IV fast neutron reactor, and is also planning a molten salt reactor. This project is part of the Chinese plan to reach a closed nuclear fuel cycle, and involves $350 million of start-up budget from U.S. Department of Energy and China Academy of Sciences. The reactors are expected to be connected to the grid in 2023 and 2025.

New nuclear fission technology is being developed but over 50 nuclear reactors involves over $200 billion of development. China is developing over $100 billion of new nuclear fission power. China can afford to complete two CFR600 sodium fast gen IV reactors and a molten salt nuclear program. China also completed a commercial high temperature pebble bed reactor. The combined new fission reactor projects are over $10 billion worth of effort. They are turning on commercial reactors with the new technology.

Over 70% of the U.S. electricity grid is more than 25 years old. Over 90% of the US nuclear reactors are over 30 years old.

China has started operation of one CFR600. It is a sodium pooled generation IV fast neutron reactor. The project is known as Xiapu fast reactor pilot project. Construction of the reactor started in late 2017. These reactors are expected to be connected to the grid in 2023 and 2025. The reactor will have an output of 1500 MWth thermal power and 600 MW electric power. The fuel will be supplied by TVEL, subsidiary of Rosatom, according to the agreement signed in 2019. The CFR-600 is part of the Chinese plan to reach a closed nuclear fuel cycle. Fast neutron reactors are considered the main technology in the future for nuclear power in China.

China plans for the TMSR-SF to be an energy solution for the northwest half of the country, with lower population density and little water. The application of water-free cooling in arid regions is envisaged from about 2025. China has a mostly new energy grid, South Korea’s grid is newer as well.

Molten Salt Reactors .

Molten salt nuclear reactors are coming but it is new projects and multi-billion development and demo project. Older nuclear technology with proven designs are still the main ones being built and used for projects that were funded and started 5-10 years ago. The proven pressure water designs will continue to get built for at least two to three more decades. There are startups working on molten salt nuclear technology. Those companies areFlibe Energy, ThorCon, Moltex, Seaborg Technologies, Terrestrial Energy and Transatomic Power. China plans for the TMSR-SF to be an energy solution for the northwest half of the country, with lower population density and little water. The application of water-free cooling in arid regions is envisaged from about 2025. The US Department of Energy is collaborating with the China Academy of Sciences on the programme, which had a start-up budget of $350 million. TMSR commercial deployment is anticipated in the 2030s.

China is planning a 373 MWt/168 MWe liquid-fuel MSR small modular reactor. It will have a supercritical CO2 cycle in a tertiary loop at 23 MPa using Brayton cycle, after a radioactive isolation secondary loop. Various applications as well as electricity generation are envisaged. It would be loaded with 15.7 tonnes of thorium and 2.1 tonnes of uranium (19.75% enriched), with one kilogram of uranium added daily, and have 330 GWd/t burn-up with 30% of energy from thorium. Online refueling would enable eight years of operation before shutdown, with the graphite moderator needing attention.