Battle of Honey Springs

The CFR-600 (Xiapu fast reactor pilot project) is a sodium-cooled pool-type fast-neutron nuclear reactor under construction in Xiapu County, Fujian province, China, on Changbiao Island.[1][2] It is a generation IV demonstration project by the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). Construction started in late 2017. These reactors are expected to be connected to the grid in 2023 and 2025.[3] The reactor will have an output of 1500 MW thermal power and 600 MW electric power.[1][2] The fuel will be supplied by TVEL, subsidiary of Rosatom, according to the agreement signed in 2019.[4]

The CFR-600 is part of the Chinese plan to reach a closed nuclear fuel cycle. Fast neutron reactors are the main future nuclear power technology in China.

A larger commercial-scale reactor, the CFR-1000, is also planned.[2]

On the same site, the building of a second 600 MW fast reactor CFR-600 was started in December 2020[5] and four 1000 MW CAP1000 are proposed.[6]

Such breeder reactors have the possibility to be used to produce weapons grade plutonium for nuclear weapon manufacturing purposes.[3]

Reactors

Unit Type Net capacity Gross capacity Thermal capacity Construction Start Operation Start Notes
Xiapu-1 FBR 642 MWe 682 MWe 1882 MWt 2017-12-29 2023[3] [7]
Xiapu-2 FBR 642 MWe 682 MWe 1882 MWt 2020-12-27 2025[3] [5][7]

Controversy

Al Jazeera reported in 2021 that the reactors are controversial because they produce weapons-grade plutonium, offering a dual military and civilian use. China has stopped annual voluntary declarations to the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] on its stocks of plutonium.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "CFR-600 (China Institute of Atomic Energy, China)" (PDF). IAEA. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "China begins building pilot fast reactor". www.world-nuclear-news.org. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d Patel, Prachi (28 Dec 2022). "China's New Breeder Reactors May Produce More Than Just Watts". IEEE Spectrum.
  4. ^ "Russia's TVEL to Supply Fuel for Chinas CFR-600 Reactor".
  5. ^ a b "China starts building second CFR-600 fast reactor". www.world-nuclear-news.org. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  6. ^ CCCC-FHDI wins bid for quot;feasibility study of offshore engineering of 600MW fast reactor nuclear power demonstration project in Xiapu, 12.03.2015. (Archived Version on archive.is).
  7. ^ a b "PRIS - Reactor Details". pris.iaea.org. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
  8. ^ "Concerns grow over China nuclear reactors shrouded in mystery". Al Jazeera. 19 May 2021.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CFR-600