China plans to start construction of the world’s first fusion-fission power plant, with the aim of generating 100 megawatts of continuous electricity for the national grid by 2030. The facility will be built on Yaohu Science Island in the hi-tech zone of Nanchang, Jiangxi province, in central China,
The CNY20bn ($2.76bn) Xinghuo high-temperature superconducting reactor is a joint venture between China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) subsidiary China Nuclear Industry 23 Construction Corporation and Lianovation Superconductor, a spin-off from Lianovation Optoelectronics.
Jiangxi Electronic Group, a state-owned enterprise, said in a statement in November 2023 that Lianovation Superconductor and CNNC Fusion (Chengdu) Design and Research Institute had signed a cooperation framework agreement to jointly build a fusion-fission reactor in the province. Lianovation Superconductor is a unit of the Jiangxi Electronic Group.
Xinghuo means spark and is said to derive from a Mao Zedong quote: “A single spark can start a prairie fire.” The fusion-fission hybrid will use high-energy neutrons produced by a fusion reaction to trigger fission in surrounding materials thereby boosting energy output and potentially reducing long-lived nuclear waste.
The aim is to achieve an unprecedented Q value, or energy gain factor, of more than 30. Energy gain factor is the ratio of fusion power produced in a nuclear fusion reactor to the power required to maintain the plasma in steady state. The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor under construction in France is targeting a Q value of more than 10. The US National Ignition Facility in 2022 achieved a Q value of 1.5.
The project has entered its first phase with a public tender for an environmental impact assessment, according to zbytb.com, a platform that aggregates bidding and procurement information in China. according to the tender. The environmental report will include baseline studies, impact evaluations on air, water, noise and ecology, as well as risk analyses, pollution control measures and monitoring plans.
A 2021 science and technology development plan from Jiangxi province sought demonstration and application of the Yaohu fusion-fission project by the end of the decade. In 2023, Lianovation Superconductor announced plans to complete a 100-megawatt-scale hybrid facility within five to six years.
