World first commercial supercritical carbon dioxide power generator begins operation

Forum Contacts RSS		RUSSIAN

CNNC, PUBLISHED 31.12.2025

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 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.

Topics: Asia, China

Other news:

Unit No. 2 has been permanently shut down at the Bilibino NPP

Units No.3 and No.4 will be shut down till end of year.

Reactor Vessel Installed at El-Dabaa NPP Power Unit 1 in Egypt

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the IAEA addressed the participants in video message.

Rosatom provides nuclear fuel for the Dalat research reactor in Vietnam

The fuel assemblies were manufactured at the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant.

Hero of the day

Rosatom starts modernization of its third uranium enrichment plant

In Seversk, Tomsk Region, the first block of high-performance 9+ generation gas centrifuges has been launched at the Isotope Separation Plant of the Siberian Chemical Combine (an enterprise of Rosatom's Nuclear Fuel Division).

INTERVIEW

Rosatom
On November 18, in St. Petersburg, President of Russia Vladimir Putin took part via videoconference in the keel-laying ceremony for the Project 22220 sixth serial-produced universal nuclear-powered icebreaker Stalingrad.

OPINION

CNNC
On July 12, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) achieved a milestone at the "National No 1 Uranium" demonstration project in Ordos, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, producing its first barrel of uranium product.