China begins construction of world’s first commercial SMR

• 2 years ago (2021-07-14)
• David Flin

Asia 847 Nuclear 639

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According to China’s state-run Global Times , the country has started construction of the world’s first commercial small modular reactor (SMR) in Hainan province in south China. The project has been launched by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), and it will have a capacity of 125 MW.

The report said that the Linglong 1 was approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2016 after a safety test.

The Global Times quoted CNNC as saying that the new reactor will greatly reduce fossil fuel consumption and help decrease carbon emissions.

Linglong 1 is being built as a demonstration project in the grounds of Changjiang nuclear power plant and is expected to pave the way for SMR technology to be taken up on a global scale.