China's nuclear steam project begins operation

China's first industrial-use nuclear energy steam supply project, Heqi No 1, was completed and put into operation on Wednesday at the Tianwan Nuclear Power Station, according to the China Atomic Energy Authority.

This marks a new field of application of nuclear energy in China, the authority added.

The Heqi No1 project is one of the first "green and low-carbon advanced technology demonstration projects" in China. It is "green, safe, stable, and efficient," the agency said in a news release.

The project will deliver 4.8 million metric tons of zero-carbon industrial-use steam each year from the Tianwan Nuclear Power Station, a subsidiary of China National Nuclear Corp, to a petrochemical industry complex in Lianyungang city, Jiangsu province.

By doing so, the facility will help to reduce the burning of standard coal by 400,000 tons per year, and the equivalent emission reduction of 1.07 million tons of carbon dioxide, 184 tons of sulfur dioxide and 263 tons of nitrogen oxides. It can save over 700,000 tons of carbon-emission allowances for the Lianyungang petrochemical complex per year, according to the authority.

This move will not only open a new path for nuclear energy to support the green upgrade of traditional industries but will also inject strong momentum into the high-quality development of the regional economy, said the news release.

Huang Ping, secretary-general of the authority, said that in recent years, the authority has vigorously promoted the comprehensive utilization of nuclear energy and the application of nuclear technology in manufacturing industries, agriculture, healthcare, environmental protection, and other sectors.

The agency will continue to nurture and develop promising nuclear technology projects and applications, according to him.

Ye Qizhen, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said the integrated utilization of nuclear energy will help to meet the diverse needs of energy-intensive industries and provide decarbonization solutions for businesses with high carbon emissions. Nuclear technology can better support the development of large-scale chemical and industrial bases in the country, he said.