Photo taken on July 6, 2022 shows the construction site at Linglong One reactor, the world's first onshore commercial small modular reactor in Changjiang, south China's Hainan Province. (Photo: China News Service/Liu Xuan)
Linglong One, a multi-functional small modular and pressurized-water nuclear reactor, has begun its construction in South China's Hainan Province, China's Central Television reported on Sunday.
Linglong One is being built by the China National Nuclear Corporation based on China's independent research and intellectual property rights.
It is also the world's first reactor of this type to be approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency on the basis that it is built to serve the region's diverse power needs.
The CCTV report described the Linglong One "nuclear island" as the heart of the nuclear power plant. Other major facilities, including the power station's pressure vessel and steam generator, will be installed in the future, the report said.
Commencing construction in July 2021, the Linlong One project is characterized as being highly secure, having short construction period, and flexible deployment among other advantages. It is expected to take about 58 months to finish the construction.
The reactor could be used as a distributed energy source, as well as meet other needs such as seawater desalination, regional heating, industrial heating and other purposes. Each set of Linglong One has a power capacity of 125,000 kilowatts, capable of generating one billion kilowatt-hours of electricity after going into operation.
The Linglong One is an example of China's strengthened investment in energy projects, not only because the country is mounting efforts to guarantee energy supply in case of a power crunch, but also because China is actively pushing for the transition toward low-carbon and green energy sources.
In the first eight months this year, China's investment in energy projects surged by 16.7 percent on a yearly basis, data from the National Energy Administration revealed.
Lin Boqiang, director of the China Center for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University, said that the Linglong One could act as a demonstration project. However, he added that one problem with the small reactor is that it's hard to make them commercialized as a result of its limited capacity.
Global Times
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