Double criticality for China’s HTR-PM

The second reactor of China’s gas-cooled high-temperature reactor pebble bed module (HTR-PM) at the Shidaowan plant in the Chinese province of Shandong reached criticality for the first time on November 11, just two months after the first block.

China Huaneng said the HTR-PM reactor 1 has now completed the zero power physical test in the low power stage with helium and is moving towards the grid connection. Reactor 2 will follow the same process moving from air to helium and follow-up tests.

The demonstration project for the Shidaowan gas-cooled high-temperature reactor began at the end of 2012 in Rongcheng, Shandong, the first demonstration project to commercialize nuclear power technology with gas-cooled high-temperature reactors, ”said China Huaneng.

The demonstration HTR-PM with two 250 MWt reactors will power a single 210 MW turbine. China Huaneng is the leading organization in the consortium to build the demonstration unit (with a 47.5% stake), along with the subsidiary of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), China Nuclear Engineering Corporation (CNEC – 32.5%) and the Institute of Nuclear and. from Tsinghua University New Energy Technology (20%), the leading research and development company. Chinergy, a joint venture between Tsinghua and CNEC, is the prime contractor for the nuclear island.

Chinenergy said the HTR-PM demonstration project is an important milestone project for China’s independent nuclear power innovation with fully independent intellectual property rights. CNNC said it will continue to use Chinergy “as a platform for transforming the scientific and technological achievements of high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, and will continue to work and work sincerely with Tsinghua University and other parties to actively promote the implementation of subsequent measures.” High-temperature gas-cooled reactor industrialization projects ”.

Photo: China’s HTR-PM nuclear project (Photo: CNNC)

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