A Pebble-Bed Modular Nuclear Reactor supplies grid electricity – in China

[Nicodeamus]

Last month, a Pebble-Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) nuclear power plant (NPP) was connected to an electricity grid and began to supply power to its region. This took place on December 20, at the Shidaowan NPP in China’s Shandong province. “From this moment on, the electricity generated from the Shidaowan nuclear power plant will be dispatched by the state to deliver daily electricity to thousands of households,” highlighted Tsinghua University.

The PBMR NPP is composed of two reactors, which drive a single 210 MWe turbine. The first of the PBMRs achieved criticality in September and the second followed suit in November. It was the steam produced by the first reactor that was used to test the turbine. The official designation of the Chinese version of the PBMR concept is High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor – Pebble-bed Module (HTR-PM).

The new NPP has the status of a demonstration plant. Currently, only the first reactor is being used to generate electricity, and it is not yet functioning at full power. During the coming months it will be subjected to various tests and slowly brought to full power. Only after this process is completed will the second of the PBMRs be put through the same process.

The PBMR NPP is owned by a consortium led by China Huaneng, which holds the biggest share (47.5%). China Nuclear Engineering Corporation, a subsidiary of China National Nuclear Corporation, has a 32.5% share. Last, but far from least, as it is the project research and development leader, the Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology of Tsinghua University holds the remaining 20%.

A Pebble-Bed Modular Nuclear Reactor supplies grid electricity – in China

Last month, a Pebble-Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) nuclear power plant (NPP) was connected to an electricity grid and began to supply power to its region. This took place on December 20, at the Shidaowan NPP in China’s Shandong province. “From this moment on, the electricity generated from the...

www.engineeringnews.co.za

 

[Nicodeamus]

I wonder if SA didn't drop the ball on it years ago.

 

[Johnatan56]

And? The issue has been cost vs larger plants, what was the actual cost of it?

 

[Nicodeamus]

And? The issue has been cost vs larger plants, what was the actual cost of it?

Well it was also management and politics.
The Chinese are throwing money at it so play around, but here I night actually agree with you that the PB was juat too expensive.

I am curious to know if it can be used for industrial heat, which was one of the intentions in SA.

 

[AntennaMan]

It might have been expensive, but as usual, they pissed away a golden opportunity.

Most of the people from PBMR(the company), Eskom and the North-West University Faculty of Nuclear Engineering, ie all the people that worked on it, are now working for X-Energy in the US, where they received millions of dollars to build a proof of concept.