Construction began today (6th) on the nuclear island for Chilong-1, the world's
first commercial high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR), at the Jiangsu
Xuwei nuclear heating and power plant. The start signals China's domestically
developed fourth-generation nuclear technology moving into commercial-scale
deployment. Chilong-1, developed with fully independent intellectual property,
uses spherical fuel elements rated to 1,620°C and can rely on passive natural
heat dissipation to maintain safety if active cooling is lost, a built-in
inherent-safety characteristic that underpins plans for scaled application.
