Experimental Nuclear Reactor Connected to National Power Grid
- 13 years ago
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A new experimental nuclear reactor is up and running in China. It comes after decades of planning and research. Officials say it will allow uranium to be used more effectively, and is more environmentally friendly than many of the world's other nuclear plants.
China's first experimental fast reactor was connected to the national power grid Thursday morning. Located near Beijing, it marks a new breakthrough in the application of fourth-generation nuclear power technology.
Fast reactors are the cutting edge of advanced power generation.
Most of the world's nuclear power plants use pressurized water reactors based on second-generation technology.
Fast reactors allow uranium to be processed up to 60 times more effectively than before.
[Xu Mi, China National Nuclear Corporation]:
"With such a high efficiency, low grade uranium ores are worth being exploited. That means the uranium resources will be expanded by a thousand-fold."
Another important feature of the fast reactor is that it can use nuclear waste generated by traditional reactors as an energy resource.
It takes hundreds of thousands of years for nuclear waste generated by pressurized water reactor to fully decay and become harmless.
In comparison, the fast reactor's waste decays in three or four hundred years, a time span the human race can more effectively control.
[Xu Mi, China National Nuclear Corporation]:
"The technique of safe storage of nuclear waste has been completely mastered. With the help of a stainless steel shell and a concrete shell, the nuclear waste it generates can be safely buried underground."
China is now one of the few countries in the world to master this promising technology.
A new experimental nuclear reactor is up and running in China. It comes after decades of planning and research. Officials say it will allow uranium to be used more effectively, and is more environmentally friendly than many of the world's other nuclear plants.
China's first experimental fast reactor was connected to the national power grid Thursday morning. Located near Beijing, it marks a new breakthrough in the application of fourth-generation nuclear power technology.
Fast reactors are the cutting edge of advanced power generation.
Most of the world's nuclear power plants use pressurized water reactors based on second-generation technology.
Fast reactors allow uranium to be processed up to 60 times more effectively than before.
[Xu Mi, China National Nuclear Corporation]:
"With such a high efficiency, low grade uranium ores are worth being exploited. That means the uranium resources will be expanded by a thousand-fold."
Another important feature of the fast reactor is that it can use nuclear waste generated by traditional reactors as an energy resource.
It takes hundreds of thousands of years for nuclear waste generated by pressurized water reactor to fully decay and become harmless.
In comparison, the fast reactor's waste decays in three or four hundred years, a time span the human race can more effectively control.
[Xu Mi, China National Nuclear Corporation]:
"The technique of safe storage of nuclear waste has been completely mastered. With the help of a stainless steel shell and a concrete shell, the nuclear waste it generates can be safely buried underground."
China is now one of the few countries in the world to master this promising technology.