World's First HTGR Nuclear Fuel Elements Shipped

The world's first high temperature gas cooled reactor (HTGR) nuclear fuel elements were dispatched on Jan 9, 2021, heading to the Shidaowan nuclear power plant in East China's Shandong Province, the world's first HTGR nuclear power plant demonstration project.

The shipment included 78,000 spherical fuel elements, part of an initial delivery of 870,000, which are expected to be put into the reactor in April 2021.

Spherical fuel elements are an important component of safe operation of the HTGR, and a key to its development.

The production of the elements was a milestone to promote China's fourth-generation nuclear technology and marks that the country has the capacity to provide high-quality HTGR spherical nuclear fuel elements sustainably.

Dispatched from China North Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd of the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), the elements were produced by the world's first and the only industrial-scale spherical fuel element production line fully developed by China.

The production line has a designed annual output of 300,000 nuclear fuel spheres, and has so far produced more than 730,000.

China North Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd, founded in 1958, is China's first nuclear fuel element production plant and played a key role in development of the country's atomic bomb, hydrogen bomb and nuclear-powered submarines.

It is now using advanced technologies to provide high-quality fuel elements to several nuclear power stations such as those at Qinshan, Sanmen and Haiyang.

A ceremony is held on Jan 9, 2021, to mark shipment of the first batch of products from the world's first industrial-scale spherical fuel element production line of CNNC's China North Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

A close look at the spherical fuel elements on the world's first industrial-scale spherical fuel element production line [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

(Executive edito: Wang Ruoting)