Supercritical CO2 opens new power frontier

Constructing a working supercritical carbon (sCO₂) plant has eluded engineers in the US, Europe and Japan for decades. But in December, the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) switched on a pair of grid-connected 15MW sCO₂ turbines, part of a waste heat recovery system at a Guizhou steel plant.

Dubbed ‘Chaotan One’, the new turbines replace steam and have apparently been responsible for an 85% jump in energy generation efficiency, from a 50% footprint reduction.

Small and power-dense, sCO₂ plants could become very interesting for naval architects in the coming years.