China brings world's first Generation IV nuclear reactor online

China claims to have brought the world's first Generation IV commercial nuclear reactor online. The Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Plant HTR-PM high-temperature gas-cooled (HTGR) pebble-bed reactor in Shidao Bay, Shandong Province, reportedly went into service this month.

Generation IV reactors are the latest, long-anticipated nuclear power plants that promise to be cheaper, safer, and more efficient than the current reactors. They're called Generation IV because Generation I were the first experimental reactors, Generation II were the first commercial reactors, Generation III were improved versions of Gen II, and Generation IV are the future reactors that incorporate new technologies, fuels, and basic designs.

Though China's HTR-PM opened for commercial business on December 6, 2023, these Gen IV reactors have been under development for decades, with some technologies dating back to the 1950s. This long lead time from idea to commercial service is due to many factors, not the least of which is integrating the many new technologies in one package along with the experience of almost 80 years of reactor operation.

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