China completes preliminary design of 4th-generation commercial fast reactor

China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has announced that it had finished the preliminary design of the country's first fourth-generation 1-million-kilowatt commercial fast reactor, called CFR1000.

The announcement was made at a symposium on advanced nuclear energy development held in Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province, on Tuesday.

Confirmation of this progress came as the country continues to seek the development of greater green energy capabilities to power its economy amid a spate of efforts to improve its energy mix and meet its dual carbon targets.

Zheng Yanguo, CNNC's deputy chief engineer, said the CFR1000, with an installed capacity of 1.2 million kilowatts, demonstrates full alignment with the requirements of fourth-generation technology for enhanced safety, sustainability and economic performance.

Fast reactors, also known as fast neutron breeder reactors, utilize fast neutrons to sustain nuclear fission and generate heat for power generation. Recognized globally as a key fourth-generation advanced nuclear energy system, fast reactors offer advantages in terms of fuel utilization, waste reduction and safety.

Among the six reactor types categorized internationally as fourth-generation technologies, three are fast reactors, which are sodium-cooled, gas-cooled or lead-cooled. Of these, sodium-cooled fast reactors are considered the most mature and promising thanks to their high breeding ratio, strong capacity to transmute long-lived radioactive waste, and inherent safety features.

With more than 400 reactor years of operational experience worldwide, sodium-cooled fast reactors are the most developed of the fourth-generation technologies, offering a strong foundation for commercial application.

Experts say the successful development of the CFR1000 marks a major step forward in China's efforts to ensure energy security, promote green and low-carbon development, and lead the global advancement of next-generation nuclear energy.

China views fast reactor development as a crucial step in its "thermal reactors, fast reactors, fusion reactors" three-stage nuclear energy development strategy, Zheng said. China's first experimental fast reactor was successfully connected to the grid in 2011.

Over the past more than 10 years, China has independently developed a full range of core and supporting technologies, and established a complete industrial chain for large-scale fast reactors, Zheng said.