Chinanews, Beijing, October 19 – The first fast reactor in China with the capacity of 65 megawatts will reach its critical period by June 2009, and its experimental operation will start one year later (its experimental capacity will only be 20 megawatts).

 

A fast reactor is a nuclear reactor in which the fission chain reaction is sustained by fast neutrons, and it is highly neutron economical, as there is a much larger excess of neutrons not required to sustain the chain reaction, which can be used as extra fuel or to transmute long-halflife waste to less troublesome isotopes. Thus fast reactors will contribute a great deal to China’s sustainable development.

 

Many developed countries set up fast reactors many years ago. For example, one commercial fast reactor in Russia has been in operation for 26 years.