China completes first step in advanced nuclear reactor project by finishing core module
- Linglong One in Hainan will be the world’s first commercial onshore small modular reactor when completed in 2026
- The technology can meet multiple demands and be used for desalination – potentially supplying power and fresh water to small islands
China has finished building the core module of the world’s first commercial onshore small modular reactor.
The Nuclear Power Institute of China said it was the first milestone in the construction of the reactor, known as Linglong One, and “marked a historical step in the manufacturing of small modular pressurised water reactors”.
Nuclear industry insiders have said this type of reactor has several benefits, including the fact that they can be used for multiple purposes and provide both power and fresh water to areas where conventional reactors are not suitable.
Work on the reactor began at the Changjiang power plant on the southern island of Hainan in 2021 and it is expected to be completed by 2026.
Once completed it will be capable of producing 1 billion kilowatt hours of electricity every year, enough to meet the needs of 526,000 households.
Nuclear power has become an increasingly important element of the country’s goals of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 and the use of coastal nuclear plants, including reactors like Linglong One, is promoted in the current five-year plan for national development.
