China's advanced reactor tech moves closer to global rollout

China has moved its Generation IV nuclear technology closer to international use after Chinergy, a subsidiary of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), signed a cooperation agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) on high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs).

Chinergy General Manager Shi Qi and IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi signed the agreement Sept. 14 during the 70th Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference in Vienna. Shan Zhongde, chairman of the China Atomic Energy Authority, and Zhang Tao, general manager of CNNC, attended the signing.

Chinergy, a subsidiary of China National Nuclear Corporation, signs a cooperation agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria, Sept. 14, 2026. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

Chinergy's HTGRs are a Generation IV advanced nuclear technology independently developed by China. With high inherent safety and operating temperatures of up to 750 degrees Celsius, the technology can generate electricity while providing heat and steam for applications including seawater desalination, petroleum refining and coal chemical processing. It can also support large-scale hydrogen production.

The headquarters of Chinergy, a subsidiary of China National Nuclear Corporation. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

China has been advancing HTGR technology from research and demonstration toward commercial application. The world's first pebble-bed modular HTGR demonstration project, at Shidao Bay in Shandong province, entered commercial operation in 2023.

Chinergy has also participated in the Xuwei nuclear energy heating and power generation project in Jiangsu province, which combines an HTGR with pressurized water reactors to provide industrial heat and electricity. Several 600-megawatt-class projects are under development.

The company has expanded its nuclear engineering capabilities, including reactor design, special equipment design and manufacturing, nuclear safety equipment, and power plant equipment supervision.

Under the new agreement, the IAEA and Chinergy will cooperate on the research and development, design, construction, commissioning and operation of HTGR plants, as well as supply chain development and personnel training. Chinergy will participate in IAEA consultancy and technical meetings and work with the agency to organize international training programs and forums on HTGR technology.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi (center) poses for a group photo with Chinese representatives in Vienna, Austria. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

The cooperation is expected to promote technical exchanges and international coordination on HTGR standards, while giving countries interested in advanced nuclear energy opportunities to learn about the technology.

Chinergy said it will use the partnership to deepen international cooperation in advanced nuclear energy and bring HTGR technology to overseas markets, moving it beyond commercial demonstration toward wider deployment.