A groundbreaking supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO₂) power generation unit entered commercial operation on Saturday in Liupanshui, southwest China's Guizhou Province, marking the world's first successful commercialization of the technology, according to China National Nuclear Corporation.

The unit, Chaotan-1, uses innovative thermoelectric conversion technology. It converts liquid carbon dioxide into a supercritical state through heating and pressurization, which then drives the generator to produce electricity.

Current sintering waste heat steam power generation technology operates much like boiling water, using heat to convert water into steam that drives turbines to generate electricity. In contrast, the Chaotan-1 unit uses sCO₂ as the working fluid in the cycle, achieving an increase of over 85 percent in power generation efficiency and a rise of more than 50 percent in net electricity output, while reducing site area requirements by half.

Beyond this application, sCO₂ technology holds broad potential for use in solar power and other fields.