Fourth Generation Nuclear Power Technology

The first high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) nuclear power plant around the globe, as a demonstration project, officially began its commercial operation in Huaneng Shidao Bay in December 2023. As a significant and special landmark achievement of China’s national science and technology initiatives with complete independent intellectual property rights, it marks that China has reached a world-leading level in fourth generation nuclear power technology field.

In March 2024, the government work report at the Second Session of the 14th National People's Congress highly approved of the breakthroughs in key technologies of the fourth generation nuclear power units. On August 19th, the State Council executive meeting approved five nuclear power projects, signifying that nuclear power development has entered a fast track.

The safe operation of nuclear power plants, which is of top priority, hinges on precisely controlled pressure and temperature conditions. MOON-TECH is dedicated to continuous innovation in environmental control and comprehensive energy utilization technology. Relying on its rich expertise in heat transfer and strong R&D capabilities, the company successfully won the bid for the air cooler project of the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor containment shield cooling water system, earning recognition from China Nuclear Energy and Tsinghua University Nuclear Research Institute.

The non-powered air cooler is a key component of the reactor core shielding cooling water system of the HTGR, utilized to maintain a continuously stable temperature inside the chamber. By nearly a year of independent innovation and experimental research, MOON-TECH overcame multiple technical challenges and obtained core data on chamber temperature distribution, cooler structure parameters, and natural convection heat transfer coefficients. The project applied wall-mounted air cooler technology in the high-temperature reactor chamber. In August 2024, the test platform and prototype test results in a simulated operational environment passed joint inspections of China Nuclear Energy, Tsinghua University experts and the owner, leading to the product’s entry into mass production.

The HTGR has unique advantages, such as small single-module power, multi-module combination, co-generation of electricity, heat, hydrogen, and water, and easy large-scale promotion. With China's technological lead in this field, the HTGR is poised for rapid development.

In the nuclear power sector, besides non-powered air cooler technology, MOON-TECH also provides solutions related to nuclear island cooling processes and nuclear energy heating. Key technologies include nuclear island cooling, nuclear power plant building aggregate cooling, cooling waste heat recovery, co-production and delivery of water and heat (applied to nuclear energy-based seawater desalination), and nuclear energy heating with large temperature differences over long distances.

MOON-TECH will continue to increase its R&D investment in key nuclear power components, helping to promote the comprehensive adoption of China’s fourth generation advanced nuclear energy systems and contributing to the improvement of the global energy structure and safe operation.