[ RadSafe ] Chinese fast reactor starts supplying electricity 21July 11

[Brennan, Mike (DOH)]

The Russians, back in the Soviet days, did do some interesting things
with liquid metal cooled reactors.  I remember when I read the real
scoop about the lead-bismuth reactors on the Alpha class submarines.  As
a former submariner I was impressed by both the imagination needed to
see that as a solution to the power-density problem, and the
bone-headedness of not seeing why this might not be a good idea.  I'm
not sure which would worry me more: the possibility of a primary coolant
leak, which means I'm sharing my tube of air with an uncontrolled stream
of molten metal, or a reactor shutdown that lasts so long the metal in
the reactor starts to solidify, which can leave you a long way from home
with very limited resources for getting back.  

Still, I wish the Chinese the best of luck with their new reactor.  The
world-wide nuclear power community could use a little good news.

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Maury
Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2011 4:45 AM
To: Radsafe
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Chinese fast reactor starts supplying electricity
21July 11

Forwarded by
Maury&Dog [MaurySiskel  maurysis at peoplepc.com]
===========================================
WNN
New Nuclear
Chinese fast reactor starts supplying electricity
21 July 2011

Exactly one year after achieving first criticality, China's experimental

fast neutron reactor has been connected to the electricity grid.

At 10.00am today, the head of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC),

Sun Qin, declared to workers and officials gathered in the Chinese 
Experimental Fast Reactor's (CEFR's) control room that the unit had 
successfully achieved grid connection.

The sodium-cooled, pool-type fast reactor has been constructed with some

Russian assistance at the China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIEA), near 
Beijing, which undertakes fundamental research on nuclear science and 
technology. The reactor has a thermal capacity of 65 MW and can produce 
20 MW in electrical power. The CEFR was built by Russia's OKBM 
Afrikantov in collaboration with OKB Gidropress, NIKIET and Kurchatov 
Institute.

Xu Mi, chief engineer at the CEFR program at CIEA, told Bloomberg that 
the unit was connected to the grid at 40% capacity. "The next step for 
us is to increase the generating capacity of the reactor to 100% while 
connected to the grid," he said. "After that, we can use the technology 
to build our own commercial fast reactors."

Beyond the pilot plant, China once planned a 600 MWe commercial scale 
version by 2020 and a 1500 MWe version in 2030 but these ambitious ideas

have been overtaken by the import of ready-developed Russian designs. In

October 2009, an agreement was signed by CIAE and China Nuclear Energy 
Industry Corporation (CNEIC) with AtomStroyExport to start pre-project 
and design works for a commercial nuclear power plant with two BN-800 
reactors with construction to start in August 2011, probably at a 
coastal site. The project is expected to lead to bilateral cooperation 
of fuel cycles for fast reactors, which promise to vastly extend the 
fuel value of uranium as well as reduce radioactive wastes.

In April 2010, a joint venture company was established for the 
construction of China's first commercial-scale fast neutron reactor, 
near the inland city of Sanming in Fujian province. The joint venture - 
Sanming Nuclear Power Co Ltd - was established by CNNC, Fujian 
Investment and Development Corp and the municipal government of Sanming 
city. CNNC holds a majority stake in the venture.



Researched and written

by World Nuclear News



_______________________________________________
You are currently subscribed to the RadSafe mailing list

Before posting a message to RadSafe be sure to have read and understood
the RadSafe rules. These can be found at:
http://health.phys.iit.edu/radsaferules.html

For information on how to subscribe or unsubscribe and other settings
visit: http://health.phys.iit.edu