Latest news with #ChinaNuclearIndustry23ConstructionCorporation
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Officials announce plans to build plant that could supply unlimited power — here's what we know
The first phase in developing China's and what's touted as the world's first fusion-fission hybrid power plant has been announced, with fundraising efforts for the project underway. A public tender was issued for an environmental impact assessment on the $2.76 billion Xinghuo high-temperature superconducting reactor, as reported by Interesting Engineering, marking progress toward an original goal of "demonstration and application" of the project by 2030. It's slated to be built on Yaohu Science Island, which is located in a high-tech zone of Nanchang, Jiangxi province, the report explained. It's an area known for its wealth of copper resources that are a key element in superconducting technology. The project is said to be a collaboration between state-owned China Nuclear Industry 23 Construction Corporation and Lianovation Superconductor, with the ultimate goal of achieving an energy gain factor (Q value) of more than 30. That value rates the energy output amount related to the input energy required. In comparison, a fusion reactor project in France named ITER aims to have a Q value of above 10, per Interesting Engineering. Fusion projects, which rely on containing a superheated plasma where two nuclei combine to form a new nucleus, thereby creating energy, are already underway across the globe, although their success remains theoretical. These processes occur naturally in stars like our Sun. A fusion-fission hybrid reactor looks to use the energy from fusion reactions to split atoms in fissile material at its core, essentially using fusion as a stable fuel to power high-energy fission reactions, as detailed by Power Technology. These hybrid systems can use the Earth-abundant deuterium and tritium fuels for the fusion reaction, reducing the need for less available materials used in nuclear fission. The reaction is also safer from nuclear meltdown, as fission reactions slow once fusion stops creating neutrons, as Asia Times noted. This Xinghuo project is expected to generate 100 megawatts of grid-connected electricity, as the IE report explained, which is roughly equivalent to powering 100,000 homes. Fusion has been praised as the holy grail for energy generation, with a predicted ability to produce unlimited amounts of clean energy, at low costs, and without any harmful byproducts. Should we be digging miles beneath Earth's surface? No way Definitely Depends what it's for Depends where we do it Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. If successful, these types of reactors could help humankind achieve its sustainability goals by reducing pollution and shifting away from burning dirty fuels for power. According to the Asia Times report, the project's timeline begins with completing the facility's design this year, followed by equipment production, assembly, and testing. Completion of its first phase is expected by 2031, although it's not clear if actual power generation will be ready by that time. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
South China Morning Post
27-03-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
China aims to have Xinghuo, world's first fusion-fission power plant, running by 2030
China is poised to start building the world's first fusion-fission hybrid power plant , with the goal of generating 100 megawatts of continuous electricity and connecting to the grid by the end of the decade. Advertisement The 20 billion yuan (US$2.76 billion) Xinghuo high-temperature superconducting reactor has entered its first phase with a public tender for an environmental impact assessment, according to a platform that aggregates bidding and procurement information in China. The facility will be built on Yaohu Science Island in the hi-tech zone of Nanchang, Jiangxi province, in central China, according to the tender. The environmental report will include baseline studies, impact evaluations on air, water, noise and ecology, as well as risk analyses, pollution control measures and monitoring plans. Nanchang's Yaohu Science Island will be home to the high-temperature reactor. Photo: Sina Xinghuo, or spark, comes from the Mao Zedong quote: 'A single spark can start a prairie fire.' The project is a joint venture between the state-owned China Nuclear Industry 23 Construction Corporation and Lianovation Superconductor, a spin-off from Lianovation Optoelectronics in Jiangxi. The province is known for its copper resources, a key metal for making superconducting materials. According to a collaboration agreement signed in 2023, the Xinghuo reactor aims to achieve an unprecedented Q value of more than 30. The Q value, or the energy gain factor, measures the ratio of thermal power output to the input power used to heat the plasma in a fusion reaction. Advertisement For comparison, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) under construction in France is targeting a Q value above 10. In 2022, the US National Ignition Facility achieved a Q of 1.5 – meaning the fusion energy output was 1½ times greater than the laser energy delivered to the fuel pellet.
