Their call followed the successful completion of a 72-hour full mode nuclear power test, following the nuclear reactor's connection to the electricity grid in January.

"Before starting commercial use, we need to build a prototype reactor to further test the performance of this kind of reactor," said Minister of Science and Technology Xu Guanhua at a conference organized by the Institute of Nuclear Energy Technology of Tsinghua University.

The conference was to showcase the achievements of the reactor project, which was listed as a priority project essential to China's national energy strategy for the near future.

The new nuclear reactor, with a power generating capacity of 10 megawatts and located 40 kilometres from downtown Beijing, marked another step forward in China's use of the latest nuclear technology for civilian purposes. The prototype reactor is designed to provide 10 times more than the test model's power capacity.

Xu's comments were echoed by Vice-Minister of Education Zhang Xinsheng and Director-General of the China Atomic Energy Authority Zhang Huazhu, who said quick commercial implementation of the reactor would help restructure China's energy network.

"As oil prices continue to rise, safe and clear nuclear power will be an important substitute," they said.

China is the fifth country to adopt this technology, following the United States, Britain, Germany and Japan, said the president of the institute Wu Zhongxin, also head of the development programme.

"The civilian use of nuclear power in China has moved into a new chapter," Wu said.

It is able to create a temperature three times higher than conventional nuclear reactors, leading to a high power generating capacity, with helium used as its coolant.

The reactor is also able to shut down and cool automatically in an emergency. "Accidents like the 1986 Chernobyl disaster could never be repeated with the new breed of nuclear reactor," Wu said.

The research and development of the reactor, backed by a total investment of 250 million yuan (US$30 million), is a key project under the High and New Technology Research and Development Programme (Programme 863) of the Chinese Government.

It has passed 100 security-related tests since the trial started in December 2000.

China has had two conventional nuclear power plants in commercial use so far. Another four conventional nuclear power generators are being built.

(China Daily March 3, 2003)