Progress is continuing to be made at the cutting-edge CNNC high-temperature gas-cooled reactor nuclear power demonstration project. [Photo/CNNC]

More progress has been made in the development of a world-leading  reactor technology, currently being tested by the Beijing-based China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).

On Oct 19, there was the successful completion of a cold function test of the primary circuit of the second reactor at a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor nuclear power demonstration project.

In the wake of that success, a cold function test of the primary circuit system of the first reactor at the project was successfully completed again and all indicators met design requirements.

The high-temperature gas-cooled reactor nuclear power demonstration project, one of the National Science and Technology Major Projects, is the first of its kind globally.

The high-temperature gas-cooled reactor, also known as an HTGR, is a fourth-generation nuclear steam supply system independently developed by China. It belongs to the fourth-generation nuclear power technology and has good inherent safety.

Experts have said that on the one hand, building the HTGR could promote the development of China's fourth-generation nuclear power technology to meet the needs of the international market.

On the other hand, the HTGR could optimize local energy structures, because the system can simultaneously provide industrial steam, heating steam and generate electricity.

The latest tests effectively established the equipment manufacturing and engineering quality of the reactors' main system, laying a solid foundation for accelerating the industrialization of high-temperature gas-cooled reactors.

The high-temperature gas-cooled reactor nuclear power demonstration project has a designed electric power production capacity of 200,000 kilowatts and has adopted the "two reactors with one generator" modular construction appraoch.