600-MWe high-temperature gas-cooled reactor nuclear power plant HTR-PM600

TLDR

The HTR‑PM600 is a 600‑MW e high‑temperature gas‑cooled reactor that builds on the HTR‑PM pebble‑bed module technology and adopts a PWR‑style nuclear island layout. The plant uses six 250‑MW th HTR‑PM reactor/steam‑generator modules connected to a single turbine, with a large circular ventilated low‑pressure containment that mirrors the HTR‑PM design. The HTR‑PM600 delivers the same inherent safety as the HTR‑PM, a nuclear‑island volume comparable to a domestic PWR of similar power, and is positioned as an economically competitive Generation IV technology.

Abstract

Abstract The HTR-PM600 high-temperature gas-cooled reactor nuclear power plant is based on the technology of the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor pebble-bed module (HTR-PM) demonstration project. It utilizes proven HTR-PM reactor and steam generator modules with a thermal power of 250 MW th and power generation of approximately 100 MW e per module. Six modules in parallel, connected to a steam turbine, form a 600-MW e nuclear power plant. In addition, its system configuration in the nuclear island is identical to that of the HTR-PM in which the technical risks are minimized. Under this principle, the HTR-PM600 achieves the same level of inherent safety as the HTR-PM. The concept of a ventilated low-pressure containment (VLPC) is unchanged; however, a large circular VLPC accommodating all six reactor modules is adopted rather than the previous small-cavity-type VLPC, which contains only one module, as defined for the HTR-PM. The layout of the nuclear island and its associated systems refer to single-unit pressurized water reactor (PWR) practices. With this layout, the HTR-PM600 achieves a volume size of the nuclear island that is comparable to a domestic PWR of the same power level. This will be a Generation IV nuclear energy technology that is economically competitive.