The Shidawan Nuclear Power Plant in China's Shandong Province began commercial operation on December 6, 2023, becoming the world's first Generation IV nuclear reactor to begin commercial operation.
The Shidaowan Nuclear Power Plant started construction in 2012, began operations in 2021, and will begin commercial operation on December 6, 2023, becoming the world's first commercially operated fourth-generation nuclear power plant. In conventional nuclear power plants, nuclear fuel called "fuel rods" are injected into the reactor
to cause a nuclear fission reaction and produce energy. On the other hand, the Shidaowan Nuclear Power Plant uses a sphere with a diameter of about 6 centimeters as nuclear fuel. The sphere contains approximately 12,000 pieces of coated nuclear fuel material, each 1 mm in diameter, surrounded by four layers of ceramics.
According to Tong Liyun, the general operator of the Shidawan nuclear power plant, each sphere stores the equivalent of 1.5 tons of coal. However, Tong said, "the ceramics around the nuclear fuel material can withstand very high temperatures, and under any operating conditions, the temperature of this fuel ball itself will never exceed the temperature that the ceramics can withstand." In other words, ceramic processing makes it very difficult for radioactive material to leak out.
In addition, the Shidaowan Nuclear Power Plant uses about 430,000 spherical fuels per reactor, eliminating the need to temporarily shut down the reactor refueling process and allowing it to continue to operate.
In addition, the fourth-generation nuclear power plant, the Shidaowan Nuclear Power Plant, introduced a mechanism known as a "high-temperature gas reactor". Conventional nuclear reactors use water for cooling. High-temperature gas reactors, on the other hand, use the inert gas helium instead of water for cooling. Many of the disadvantages of conventional light water reactors, such as reducing the likelihood of steam explosions, can be improved by using gas for cooling. In addition, in order to further improve safety, the Shidaowan Nuclear Power Plant has also introduced a system called "passive waste heat discharge system".
"At the moment, the condition of the reactor unit is very stable, including operating under various parameters. Electricity from the Shidawan nuclear power plant is supplied to the power grid in Shandong Province and used in thousands of households. will be distributed for use.
It is expected to contribute to the local power supply and become a model for the further development of fourth-generation nuclear power plants. ”