On December 20, the world's first commercial supercritical carbon dioxide power generator began operation, alongside the launch of the Chaotan One brand, at a ceremony held in Liupanshui, Guizhou province.

Chaotan One is the world's first commercial 2×15 MW supercritical CO₂ waste-heat power generation demonstration project, jointly developed by the Nuclear Power Institute of China (NPIC) of the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and its partners. The project addresses global technical bottlenecks in the efficient utilization of medium- and high-temperature heat sources at small to medium power scales, fostering new quality productive force. Its successful commercial operation marks the first global transition of supercritical CO₂ power technology from laboratory research to commercial deployment, representing a milestone in the development of an integrated innovation system linking government, industry, academia, research, and application.

Compared with conventional waste-heat steam power generation technologies, Chaotan One offers over 85% higher generation efficiency and more than 50% higher net power output. It also features a simplified system architecture, reduced equipment requirements, easier operation and maintenance, and a 50% reduction in site needs.

As an advanced thermoelectric conversion technology, Chaotan One uses supercritical CO₂ as the working fluid and operates on a closed Brayton cycle, enabling efficient and stable power generation. Benefiting from the unique properties of supercritical CO₂, the system offers high efficiency, compact design, fewer auxiliary systems, and strong operational flexibility, with potential for expansion to higher capacities and higher-temperature applications. In 2017, the US Department of Energy identified supercritical CO₂ power generation as a strategic frontier technology in the energy sector, and in 2018 it was named one of MIT Technology Review's "Top 10 Breakthrough Technologies".

Beyond this project, CNNC launched a  "Molten Salt Energy Storage + Supercritical CO₂ Power Generation" demonstration project in 2024, which has been selected for China's fifth batch of major first-of-a-kind energy equipment and is expected to complete demonstration deployment by 2028. Looking ahead, the technology also shows broad application potential in areas such as solar thermal power generation.