China's first industrial nuclear-powered steam generation project goes online

China's first nuclear-powered steam generation project for industrial use has begun production, as Beijing accelerates its diversification of nuclear energy and promotes a low-carbon transformation of energy.

The project, named Heqi No 1, officially went into operation on Wednesday, according to its constructor, the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), a state-owned enterprise with a complete nuclear technology industry framework.

Through a 23.3km (14.5 miles) above-ground pipeline, CNNC said, Heqi No 1 can deliver 4.8 million tonnes of steam annually from the Tianwan Nuclear Power Station to the Lianyungang Petrochemical Industry Base, both in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province.

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In a process CNNC described as "boiling water", the project uses the steam generated from two of the Tianwan station's turbine systems as its heat source.

The nuclear reaction turns the circulating cooling water into steam in the high-pressure generator, which in turn boils the water in the seawater desalination plant, and the resulting steam is sent via the pipeline to the petrochemical base.

To ensure safety, the project has set up multiple radiation monitoring points to detect radioactivity of the steam in real time. In the event of an anomaly, the project would shut down immediately, CNNC said.

The project provides a new solution for the green upgrading of energy in the petrochemical industry, Zhang Yi, chairman of the Jiangsu Nuclear Power Corporation, told Xinhua on Wednesday.

The project is expected to reduce coal usage by 400,000 tonnes annually, equivalent to cutting the emissions of 1.07 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, 184 tonnes of sulphur dioxide and 263 tonnes of nitrogen oxides.

It is comparable to planting 2,900 hectares of trees each year, and saving more than 700,000 tonnes of carbon emission allowances for the petrochemical base annually, according to CNNC. The report did not disclose the cost of the project.

Heqi No 1 represents China's efforts to accelerate the diversified use of nuclear energy to meet its commitment to attain "peak carbon" emissions by 2030 and achieve "carbon neutral" status by 2060.

Heqi No 1's pipelines in Lianyungang, which transport steam generated at the Tianwan nuclear power station to a petrochemical base. Photo: Xinhua alt=Heqi No 1's pipelines in Lianyungang, which transport steam generated at the Tianwan nuclear power station to a petrochemical base. Photo: Xinhua>

While many Western countries are turning to renewables for a greener energy supply, China is already a global leader in nuclear power generation.

In its drive to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the country is applying nuclear technologies to all aspects of people's lives - including industry, agriculture, medicine, environmental protection and security.

In November 2022, a district heating demonstration project was put into use in Hongyanhe, Liaoning province, northeast China's first nuclear-powered heating project.

Later, China's first nuclear-powered heat generation project for industrial use began production in Haiyan county, Zhejiang province, Xinhua reported.

The State Council issued an action plan for energy conservation and carbon reduction last month, noting that in 2024, energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP are estimated to decrease by about 2.5 per cent and 3.9 per cent, respectively.

The council has spoken of replacing the electric drive to steam drive in an orderly manner, and encouraged petrochemical plants to explore the use of nuclear energy for their steam and heat supply.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

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