China and IAEA partner on high-temperature reactor technology

China and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have signed a technical cooperation agreement to advance high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) technology. The agreement, signed in Vienna by Chinergy Co Ltd—a subsidiary of the China National Nuclear Corporation—focuses on sharing China’s engineering expertise in the research, design, construction, commissioning, and operation of these advanced reactors.

HTGRs are a fourth-generation nuclear technology that operates at higher temperatures than conventional light-water reactors. This capability allows them to provide not only electricity but also high-temperature heat for industrial processes, steam production, and hydrogen generation. The cooperation will also include information exchange regarding supply chains and specialized personnel training.

China has a long history of developing this technology, beginning research in the 1970s. A significant milestone was reached in December 2023 when the HTR-PM demonstration plant in Shandong province entered commercial operation. This facility is the world’s first modular high-temperature plant to reach this stage, utilizing helium as a coolant and TRISO fuel spheres.