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China Connects First Commercial sCO2 Power Generator to the Grid

The waste-heat system at a Guizhou steel mill uses carbon dioxide instead of steam for higher efficiency.

Overview

  • Two 15‑megawatt units have been installed at the state-owned Shougang Shuicheng Steel plant in Liupanshui, Guizhou, according to CNNC’s Nuclear Power Institute.
  • The supercritical CO2 cycle captures high‑temperature waste heat and is expected to be about 50% more efficient than conventional steam-based waste‑heat systems.
  • The project was developed by the Nuclear Power Institute of China in partnership with Jigang International Engineering and Technology.
  • Backers highlight the technology’s compact turbines and potential applications in mobile reactors, ships, spacecraft and concentrated solar plants.
  • Parallel efforts include the U.S. DOE‑funded STEP pilot in San Antonio, a 10‑megawatt electrical sCO2 project that completed its first testing phase in 2024.