Shidaowan HTR-PM 1

Executive Overview

Shidaowan HTR-PM 1 is the world's first commercial-scale high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR), located at the Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Plant in Rongcheng, Shandong Province, China. The plant comprises two 250 MWt pebble-bed reactor modules driving a single 210 MWe steam turbine, with a net commercial output of 150 MWe. Construction began in December 2012, first criticality was achieved in September 2021, grid connection in December 2021, and commercial operation commenced on December 5, 2023. The project is owned by China Huaneng Group (47.5%), China National Nuclear Corporation subsidiary CNEC (32.5%), and Tsinghua University's Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology (20%), and is operated by Huaneng Shandong Shidao Bay Nuclear Power Company. Domestic equipment content is 93.4%, and the project required over 2,200 sets of first-of-kind equipment.

How It Works & Differentiation

Each HTR-PM module uses helium as a coolant and graphite as a moderator, with spherical TRISO-coated fuel pebbles of 60 mm diameter — each containing approximately 7 grams of uranium enriched to 8.5%, embedded in approximately 12,000 four-layer ceramic-coated fuel particles. The pebble fuel provides inherent safety: the fuel particles maintain structural integrity at temperatures up to 1,620°C, and the low power density design allows the core to cool naturally by passive heat removal without active cooling systems — eliminating the possibility of a fuel melt accident. Helium coolant enters the core at approximately 250°C and exits at approximately 750°C, driving a steam cycle that produces steam at 13.25 MPa and 567°C. The high outlet temperature enables potential future co-generation of industrial process heat and hydrogen in addition to electricity. In 2023, two full-power safety demonstration tests were conducted in which emergency cooling systems were deliberately switched off, with the core naturally cooling down without incident.

Commercialization & Traction

The reactor supplied 112 GWh of electricity in 2023 and 272 GWh in 2024, with an operation factor of 72% in 2024 reflecting planned maintenance and operational learning. The Shidaowan site also hosts two 1,500 MW CAP1400 (Guohe One) pressurised water reactors under construction with commercial operation expected in 2025, and four Hualong One (HPR1000) reactors planned, indicating China's intent to develop the site into a major multi-technology nuclear campus. A scaled-up version, the HTR-PM600 — one 650 MWe turbine driven by six reactor modules — has been proposed as the next commercial step.

Scalability & Strategic Context

The HTR-PM is the culmination of more than 30 years of Chinese research in pebble-bed reactor technology, tracing back to the 10 MWt HTR-10 experimental reactor started in 2000. Its commercial operation establishes China as the first country to deploy a Generation IV HTGR at utility scale, ahead of equivalent programmes in the United States, South Korea, and Europe. The HTGR's ability to co-generate high-temperature process heat — including steam at up to 500°C for petrochemical and industrial applications — gives it a broader addressable market than conventional light-water SMRs. The HTR-PM600 commercial scale-up and China's stated ambition to export the technology give the Shidaowan demonstration international significance as the world's only operating reference plant for this reactor class.