Beijing, July 22 (ANI)): China is close to making a major breakthrough in its nuclear energy technology plans. Its fourth generation experimental fast reactor will soon be connected to the national electricity grid.
This is a step beyond conventional power reactors. Most of the world's operating nuclear plants adopt second generation pressurized water reactors, Xinhua News reports.
The benefits of this new fourth generation neutron reactor are that it is safer and makes maximum use of uranium resources by generating more fuel than they consume.
Another feature is that the burn rate in the fast reactor consumes less than one percent of the uranium it is fed.
Xu Mi, chief engineer of China National Nuclear Corporation, was quoted as saying: "The utilization ratio of uranium is high. In this sense, even poor ore will be worth developing, so the amount of available uranium will be greatly increased."
Radioactive decay from conventional pressurized water reactors takes tens of thousands of years to be regarded safe. But using a fast reactor can efficiently shorten the period of radioactive decay to a few hundred years, making it easier for waste disposal.
China began researching fast reactors in the sixties, and is one of the only countries with the technology. The thermal power of the experimental fast reactor is designed to reach 650 megawatts.
The project has laid down a technological foundation for China to develop commercial fast reactors in the future. The project will also play an important part in moving China away from reliance on coal-fired plants and uranium imports. (ANI)
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