China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), a global nuclear player, aims to produce a 400 MW deep pool low-temperature heating reactor that could produce enough heat for around 200,000 homes.
The company has already produced a demonstration reactor which successfully heated around 50 households for 168 hours. Construction on a full-scale project is planned to begin by the end of next year.
So-called ‘swimming pool reactors’ consist of a concrete and steel reactor pool measuring about 10 metres across by 20 metres deep. A nuclear core sunk in the water can produce up to 400 MW, heating the water to 90 degrees C for distribution via an existing heat network.
The cost of building a heat-only reactor has been estimated at RMB1.3bn-1.4bn (around $200m). By comparison, a full-scale nuclear power plant can cost in the region of $25bn and up.
Source: Decentralised Energy