China’s first industrial-use nuclear energy steam supply project, Heqi No.1, is officially put into operation on June 19, 2024 in Lianyungang, East China’s Jiangsu Province. Photo: CNNC

China's first industrial-use nuclear energy steam supply project, Heqi No.1, was officially put into operation on Wednesday in Lianyungang, East China's Jiangsu Province. This marks a step forward in the comprehensive utilization of nuclear energy in China - not simply restricted to power generation or to meet the heating demand of urban households, but to expand into the field of industrial steam supply.

The Heqi No.1 project is one of the first green and low-carbon advanced technology demonstration projects in China, CCTV news reported, citing China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA).

The annual supply of carbon-zero clean steam of the project can reach up to 4.8 million tons, equivalent to reducing the burning of standard coal by 400,000 tons per year, per CAEA.

The steam generated by clean energy can also reduce emissions equivalent to 1.07 million tons of carbon dioxide, 184 tons of sulfur dioxide and 263 tons of nitrogen oxides, and equivalent to adding 2,900 hectares of afforestation area.

The steam project is located at the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant in Lianyungang. The steam produced at the power plant will be transported to the nearby Lianyungang Petrochemical Industry Base through a 23.36-kilometers-long pipe, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

China’s first industrial-use nuclear energy steam supply project, Heqi No.1, is officially put into operation on June 19, 2024 in Lianyungang, East China’s Jiangsu Province. Photo: CNNC

The steam produced by nuclear energy can be used in the production of chemicals, greatly reducing the use of standard coal and carbon emissions, while helping enterprises to reduce cost and increase efficiency.

According to Xinhua, the water that will be transformed into steam comes from desalinated seawater.

Heqi No.1 project is a clean steam supply model for the national petrochemical industry, said Zhang Yi, chairman of Jiangsu Nuclear Power Co, the operator of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant.

"We will continue to explore more applications of nuclear energy, such as in hydrogen production, to enhance the comprehensive utilization of nuclear energy and boost local development," Zhang said.

In addition to its application of in heating and steam supply, nuclear energy can also be widely used in the production of isotope and hydrogen, seawater desalination and many other fields, according to the CAEA.

Nuclear technology has been widely used across industry, agriculture, medicine, environmental protection, security and other fields, integrated into all aspects of people's lives, building industrial scale, and generating significant economic and social benefits.

Global Times