Senior State Council officials have called for the early commercial
use of China's first self-designed gas-cooled nuclear reactor in a
bid to restructure China's energy pattern.
Their call followed the successful completion of a 72-hour full
mode nuclear power test, following the nuclear reactor's connection
to the electricity grid in January.
"Before starting commercial use, we need to build a prototype
reactor to further test the performance of this kind of reactor,"
said Minister of Science and Technology Xu Guanhua at a conference
organized by the Institute of Nuclear Energy Technology of Tsinghua
University.
The conference was to showcase the achievements of the reactor
project, which was listed as a priority project essential to
China's national energy strategy for the near future.
The new nuclear reactor, with a power generating capacity of 10
megawatts and located 40 kilometres from downtown Beijing, marked
another step forward in China's use of the latest nuclear
technology for civilian purposes. The prototype reactor is designed
to provide 10 times more than the test model's power capacity.
Xu's comments were echoed by Vice-Minister of Education Zhang
Xinsheng and Director-General of the China Atomic Energy Authority
Zhang Huazhu, who said quick commercial implementation of the
reactor would help restructure China's energy network.
"As oil prices continue to rise, safe and clear nuclear power will
be an important substitute," they said.
China is the fifth country to adopt this technology, following the
United States, Britain, Germany and Japan, said the president of
the institute Wu Zhongxin, also head of the development
programme.
"The civilian use of nuclear power in China has moved into a new
chapter," Wu said.
It
is able to create a temperature three times higher than
conventional nuclear reactors, leading to a high power generating
capacity, with helium used as its coolant.
The reactor is also able to shut down and cool automatically in an
emergency. "Accidents like the 1986 Chernobyl disaster could never
be repeated with the new breed of nuclear reactor," Wu said.
The research and development of the reactor, backed by a total
investment of 250 million yuan (US$30 million), is a key project
under the High and New Technology Research and Development
Programme (Programme 863) of the Chinese Government.
It
has passed 100 security-related tests since the trial started in
December 2000.
China has had two conventional nuclear power plants in commercial
use so far. Another four conventional nuclear power generators are
being built.
(China Daily March 3, 2003)