On December 11, the High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) Modern Industrial Chain Alliance, initiated by Chinergy, a subsidiary of CNNC, was established in Beijing. The alliance is committed to building a strategic community with shared goals, responsibilities, benefits, and values, marking a key milestone in the industrialization and collaborative innovation of China's fourth-generation nuclear energy technology.
At the meeting, the alliance was formally unveiled and its charter was signed. A representative of Chinergy delivered a keynote address titled "United in Purpose, Innovation-Driven: Building an Independent and Controllable HTGR Modern Industrial Chain".
The alliance brings together more than 60 core organizations across the upstream and downstream segments of the industry chain. It focuses on six critical areas: R&D and design, fuel manufacturing, equipment manufacturing, construction, installation and commissioning, operation and maintenance, and overseas markets. In parallel, it provides integrated support in standard systems and intellectual property development, digital and intelligent transformation, and the improvement of experience feedback mechanisms.
By pooling industry strengths, the alliance aims to advance HTGR technology from single-purpose power generation toward diversified applications such as heating and hydrogen production. Priority will be given to breakthroughs in areas including petrochemical coupling and nuclear-based hydrogen production, accelerating the development of a "nuclear+" zero-carbon integrated energy system. These efforts will provide HTGR-based solutions for China's carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, supporting green energy transition and industrial upgrading.
As a fourth-generation advanced nuclear reactor, HTGR features inherent safety, multipurpose utilization of electricity, heat, and steam, and flexible multi-module configurations. China has now fully mastered the complete HTGR technology chain—from design and manufacturing to construction, commissioning, operation, and fuel cycle—along with all core intellectual property rights, achieving a transition from a follower to a global leader in this sector. Building on this foundation, the alliance will further strengthen its upstream and downstream collaboration, remove industrial barriers, establish strategic partnerships, and comprehensively enhance the integrity, safety, advancement, and resilience of the HTGR industry chain.
