China's First Supercritical Carbon Dioxide-Based Test Cycle Power Generator Unit Starts Operation

China's first large-scale supercritical carbon dioxide-based test cycle power generator unit was put into operation at Xi'an Thermal Power Research Institute Co., Ltd of China Huaneng Group Co., Ltd.

The unit was designed by Hualu Engineering & Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China National Chemical Engineering Group Corporation Ltd (CNCEC).

The generator unit has an operating power of 5 megawatts, and more than 400 technical patents are adopted on the unit.

Supercritical carbon dioxide-based cycle power generation is a crucial and transformative technology in thermal power generation. Different from traditional thermal power generation, the technology uses carbon dioxide as circulating mass and has outstanding performances in thermoelectric conversion efficiency, power equipment size and flexibility.

Operation of the generator unit verified the feasibility of industrial operation of supercritical carbon dioxide cycle power generation technology and is expected to completely change the water steam-based power generation method used for more than 140 years.

It will also improve energy utilization efficiency and contribute to China's goal of peak carbon dioxide emission by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.

(Executive editor: Niu Yilin)