Screenshot of the China National Nuclear Corporation's (CNNC) announcement

The world's first nuclear power plant which contains a pebble bed reactor (PBR), the fourth generation of high-temperature gas reactor (HTGR), has officially entered operation in East China's Shandong Province, the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced via its official WeChat account on Monday. 

There are a very few countries which have mastered HTGR technology, and the launch of HTGR nuclear power plant in Rongcheng, Shandong Province marks the country consolidating its role as a world leader in nuclear power. 

The plant's core technologies were all domestically developed with 93.4 percent of the material used in the plant domestically sourced. 

HTGR has been called the safest type of nuclear reactor to date. The reactor will not melt when placed under duress and there is no risk of radiation leaks. Aside from a high-degree of safety, the temperature index of the reactor also matches multiple fields including petrochemical engineering, coal chemical industry and hydrogen production. 

CNNC noted that it will strengthen its partnership with Tsinghua University to enhance the research and development of the HTGR with a view to commercializing new power generation technology.

Global Times