China unveils 4th-generation nuclear reactor

Beijing has connected an experimental, high-efficiency nuclear reactor to the electrical grid, a move hailed internally as a breakthrough in China’s efforts to use home-grown technology in its nuclear industry, the South China Morning Post reported. The 65-megawatt “fast-” or fourth-generation-reactor is located near Beijing and currently connected to the grid at 40% capacity. Fast reactors are believed to be safer and more fuel efficient, since they burn uranium 60-times more efficiently and reduce the total radio-toxicity and lifetime of nuclear waste. China plans to begin building a 1-gigawatt fast reactor in Sanming, Fujian province in 2017. Following the Fukushima accident in Japan, Beijing stopped approving new nuclear power plants pending safety reviews. However, the government continues to promote the development of nuclear power, according to directives issued by China’s top economic planner on April 26.