british media: china is "10 to 15 years ahead of the united states" in this regard
2024-09-14
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china leads in fourth-generation nuclear power
the economist, september 12, original title: china beats the us in the nuclear race
shidao bay is a demonstration project for china's fourth-generation nuclear power plants. scientists hope that these new nuclear power plants will generate electricity more safely and efficiently than traditional nuclear power plants. many countries are working to develop nuclear energy. but the only fourth-generation nuclear power plant in commercial operation is shidao bay, which was connected to the grid in december last year. jacopo buongiorno, a professor of nuclear engineering at the massachusetts institute of technology, said this shows that china "has extraordinary strength in nuclear energy."
china’s first civilian reactor was connected to the grid in 1991, about 30 years later than the united states. but now, according to the information technology and innovation foundation, a u.s. think tank, china is 10 to 15 years ahead of the united states in deploying fourth-generation nuclear technology.china is also building conventional reactors at a much faster pace than any other country. there are about 60 nuclear power plants under construction worldwide, 26 of which are in china.
there are six possible designs for generation iv reactors. chinese engineers are trying to build plants based on all of them, but they didn’t invent any of them. the shidao bay plant, for example, is based on an experimental german model. china is good at turning such designs into reality. david fishman, a researcher at the lantao group, an energy consulting firm, said china’s expertise is the ability to “build prototypes, test them and modify them until the efficiency is pushed to the limit.” china’s generous state financing and well-developed supply chain have helped it.
these plants have multiple uses for china. china wants to reduce its reliance on imported oil and gas by increasing nuclear power generation. nuclear power is also cleaner than fossil fuels. china aims to increase nuclear power generation to 18% of its electricity mix by 2060, from about 5% today. there are other uses for generation iv reactors, too. some models can run even hotter than conventional nuclear plants, and the resulting heat can be used in industries such as chemical manufacturing that require high temperatures. in august, the chinese government approved the construction of another plant using generation iv technology, which will supply high-quality, low-carbon industrial steam on a large scale to a petrochemical base in jiangsu province.
like nuclear power plants in other countries, china's nuclear power plants use nuclear fission technology. chinese scientists are pursuing the dream of nuclear fusion, which aims to mimic the process of the sun's light and heat. nuclear fusion power plants can produce an almost endless supply of energy while producing far less radioactive nuclear waste than nuclear fission power plants. chinese scientists are applying for more nuclear fusion-related patents than their counterparts in any other country. last year, china fusion energy co., ltd. (under preparation) was officially unveiled with the aim of uniting relevant enterprises, research institutes, universities and other institutions to form a controlled nuclear fusion innovation consortium to realize the commercial application of this technology.(translated by wang huicong)
