The End of the Steam Age? China’s Breakthrough CO2 Generator

蒸汽时代的终结？中国二氧化碳发电机实现重大突破

Anton summarizes China’s launch of Chaotan 1, the world’s first commercial supercritical carbon dioxde (sCO₂) power generator on December 30, 2025, which drew wide attention but was poorly understood by most people.

The video first explains that global power generation has relied on steam-based Rankine cycles for over a century, which are inefficient (30–40% efficiency) due to energy lost boiling water, bulky equipment, and slow startup. By contrast, supercritical CO₂—a hybrid state between liquid and gas above 31°C and 7.37 MPa—combines high density (to drive turbines strongly) and low friction (to flow efficiently), with theoretical efficiency over 50%. Engineers overcame its corrosiveness using nickel-based superalloys and compact printed circuit heat exchangers, resulting in systems 10 times smaller than steam turbines and starting in just 2 minutes, ideal for modern power grids with renewable energy.

中国于2025年12月30日投运了全球首台商用超临界二氧化碳（sCO₂）发电机组——超探一号，这一事件引发广泛关注，但大多数人并未真正理解其意义。

百余年来全球发电均依赖以水蒸气为工质的朗肯循环技术。该技术效率低下（效率仅30%–40%），原因是水的汽化过程会损耗大量能量，且设备体积庞大、启动速度缓慢。与之相对，超临界二氧化碳是二氧化碳在温度高于31摄氏度、压力达到7.37兆帕时，形成的介于液态和气态之间的混合状态；它兼具高密度（可强力驱动涡轮）与低摩擦性（流动损耗小）的特点，理论发电效率可突破50%。工程师采用镍基高温合金材料解决了其腐蚀性问题，并使用紧凑型印刷电路板式换热器，使得整套系统体积仅为传统蒸汽轮机的十分之一，且启动时间仅需2分钟，非常适配接入含大量可再生能源的现代电网。

For about two decades, the U.S. led sCO₂ research: Sandia National Labs built a 10 kW prototype, and the STEP Demo project in Texas reached 4 MW in 2024, mostly aiming to upgrade nuclear power. However, China leapfrogged to commercialization with Chaotan 1: a 30 MW plant (nearly 10 times the U.S. demo capacity) integrated with a steel mill to recover waste heat. It is 85% more efficient than the factory’s old systems, boosts net electricity by 50%, occupies 50% less space, and already supplies power to the grid commercially.

The technology also enables safer, smaller, cheaper nuclear plants by replacing water coolant, reduces industrial greenhouse emissions, and allows power plants to be built in remote, arid areas like the Gobi Desert, where China plans further deployments.

While 2025 marks the transition of sCO₂ tech from lab prototypes to real-world commercial use, long-term durability risks from sCO₂’s corrosiveness remain untested. The video concludes that this breakthrough may signal the end of the steam age and the begng of the supercritical CO₂ energy era, with China currently leading the global shift.

近二十年间，美国在超临界二氧化碳技术领域处于领先地位：桑迪亚国家实验室研发出10千瓦原型机，得克萨斯州的STEP示范项目则在2024年实现4兆瓦发电，这类研究主要用于改进核电系统。而中国凭借超探一号直接实现了技术商用落地：该电站总装机30兆瓦，功率接近美国示范项目的10倍，已接入一家钢铁厂，回收工业余热进行发电。这套系统比该厂原有老旧设备效率提升85%，净发电量增加50%，占地面积减少50%，且已实现并网商业供电。

该技术还可替代水作为核电冷却剂，打造更安全、更小巧、成本更低的核电站；能够减少工业温室气体排放，并且可以在戈壁沙漠等偏远干旱地区建设电站，中国也计划在这类区域进一步推广部署。

2025年标志着超临界二氧化碳技术从实验室原型正式走向实际商用，但超临界二氧化碳的腐蚀性对设备的长期耐久性影响仍未经过实际检验。这一技术突破或许预示着蒸汽时代的终结，超临界二氧化碳能源时代正式开启，而中国目前在这场全球能源技术变革中处于领先地位。

以下是各国网友的评论：

brabdnon
Do we have to call it Super Critical Carbon Dioxde Punk instead of Steampunk, now?

我们现在是不是该把蒸汽朋克，改叫超临界二氧化碳朋克了？

Mark_Williams.
New tech tree level unlocked!

科技树解锁全新等级！

SpentAmbitionDrain
20% extra power generation for 4 times smaller footprint and 15 times faster startup time would be something.

发电量提升20%，占地面积缩小到原来的四分之一，启动速度快15倍，这成果太厉害了。

longanddeadly
Anyone know the stock name?

有人知道相关股票的名称吗？

TyrellSuraiya
​​@longanddeadly the Chinese stock index is pretty much for show. They don't focus on making money in the same way as American capitalist on Wall Street (who don't create anything)
They are too busy nation building & forming bonds

 中国的股指大多只是表面形式。他们和华尔街的美国资本家赚钱思路不一样（那些资本家根本不创造任何实物）
他们一心忙着建设国家、缔结合作纽带。

nejsonsvejson9861
finally after millenia we've gone from boiling water to boiling co2

折腾了这么久，我们终于从烧开水发电，变成用二氧化碳发电了。

thomasbeaumont3668
really it has only been centuries

其实也就过了几百年而已。

vylbird801
There were attempts in the early 20th century to use mercury in a combined cycle, to achieve greater efficiency than steam. They worked, too. Higher efficiency was achieved. But all the extra equipment was very large and very expensive, and the efficiency gained wasn't enough to justify the higher costs. That, and people were a little uncomfortable sitting around the giant container full of highly toxc heavy metal poised to explode if anyone made a mistake.

20世纪初，有人尝试在联合循环中使用水银，想获得比蒸汽更高的发电效率。这个办法确实可行，效率也确实提高了。但是配套设备体积巨大、造价昂贵，提升的效率抵不上多出的成本。而且没人愿意待在巨型剧毒重金属容器旁边，一旦出错就可能爆炸，太让人不安了。

gregorymalchuk272
​@vylbird8014 Mercury vapor binary cycles were used at several commercial power stations on the east coast, but improvements in metallurgy of boiler, superheater, and reheater metals obviated the efficiency gains. Maybe we should reconsider them because we're running up against the limits of austenitic stainless steels in thermal power stations.

美国东海岸好几座商用电站用过水银蒸汽二元循环。但后来锅炉、过热器、再热器的金属材料升级，这套技术的效率优势就没了。

现在火电厂用的奥氏体不锈钢已经到性能极限，或许我们该重新考虑这项技术。

Cynthia_Cantrell
The CO2 isn't boiling - it skips the lossy phase change of water to steam by staying in the super critical state.

二氧化碳并没有被煮沸，它一直保持超临界状态，避开了水变成蒸汽时损耗能量的相变过程。

HackedToaster
Finally, a breakthrough that doesn't look like a showroom set-up specifically for taking pictures and host tours

终于有一项真正的技术突破，不是专门摆出来拍照、接待参观的展厅样品。

grelbr
Note that this is a system to convert waste heat at a steel mill to power. It's not a reactor, it's a heat engine. It's more efficient because it uses a hotter hot-side, and so has higher thermodynamic efficiency.

注意：这套系统是把钢铁厂的废热转化成电能。它不是核反应堆，是热机。

它效率更高，是因为热源温度更高，热力学效率自然也更高。

davids9027
I am very pleased that you are talking about real breakthrough events.

很高兴你在讲解真正有突破性的事件。

dtibor5903
Western companies are announcing a lot of new tech, they create buzz in media and you never hear again about it. Seems they do these just to attract investors.

西方企业总发布大量新技术，在媒体上炒热度，之后就再也没消息。

他们这么做，似乎只是为了吸引投资者。

vigortheone3527
We’ve been using a version of this for many years in the refrigeration industry. Here in the Netherlands many many supermarkets have co2 refrigeration, which has this super critical state in their liquid tanks. Using it for energy creation is new to me though

制冷行业已经用类似技术很多年了。

荷兰很多超市都用二氧化碳制冷设备，储液罐里的二氧化碳就是超临界状态。

但用它来发电，我还是第一次听说。

chsanharja
This would be a huge help in develo mini nuclear reactor, since most of the problems centered on how to transfer heat to the turbine effectively

这项技术对研发小型核反应堆帮助极大，小型反应堆的核心难题，就是如何高效把热量传递给涡轮机。

chezLynn
Reminds me of the old slow-poke systems we, at one point, thought might bring nuclear into every home. Now, I'm curious about this super critical C02 systems, and their environmental impacts!

这让我想起以前那些慢吞吞的系统，我们曾以为它们能让核电走进千家万户。

现在我很好奇超临界二氧化碳系统，以及它对环境的影响。

travismoore7849
Converting from steam to super critical carbon dioxde generators could be better for thermal plants in general.

整体来看，火电厂从蒸汽机组换成超临界二氧化碳机组，效果会更好。

MozziefromOz
This is awesome. The possibilities if this is true, is astounding. Thanks for video Anton, have a great day one and all. Cheers.

这太了不起了。如果技术属实，未来的应用潜力大到惊人。

Joyexer
Wow! This is a true breakthrough! Thank you Anton for explaining everything so well.

哇！这是实打实的技术突破！谢谢你安东，讲解得这么清楚明白。

cmdr-crimbo
This will be useful for space missions, it should scale down well enough for manned missions or moon/mars missions. I wonder how many kw you could get from a couple of square meters? 5-10 for sure depending on fuel type and how much shielding you will need.

这项技术能用于航天任务，它可以小型化，适配载人、登月或登火星任务。

我好奇几平方米的设备能发几千瓦电？

肯定能达到5-10千瓦，具体要看燃料类型和所需的防护层厚度。

Yaivenov
I want to say they already have helium and mercury vapor in space reactors. I'm interested in how this compares.

航天反应堆已经在用氦气和水银蒸汽了。我很想知道这项技术和它们比起来怎么样。

blumoogle2901
The biggest problem with space anything is that it's difficult to get rid of heat in space. Anything that contains a lot of heat needs to be isolated from human habitation areas. So, it needs to be on a planetary body just so there's ground to dump the heat into

航天设备最大的问题，是太空里很难散热。

高温设备必须和人类居住区域隔离开。

所以设备得放在行星表面，才能把热量传导到地面。

michaelbujaki2462
In space we have nuclear batteries. In fact, Voyager is powered by a nuclear battery.

太空中我们用核电池。其实旅行者号探测器，就是靠核电池供电的。

angelracing
one main important aspect perceived on Chinese philosophy regarding science on r&d is their seriousness on the aprouch of their fruitfull efforts

在我看来，中国科研理念的一大关键，是他们对待研发成果的态度十分严谨认真。

hosttwo2
I wonder how stable CO2 is in irradiated environments? Raw O- and H+ ions (via radiolysis) will usually reform as water, since any loose gasses dissolve into solution and tend to find partners; at worst you get peroxde. But CO2 can form carbon residues and O2 gas on top of the baseline acidity both of these can block flow and the O2 accelerates corrosion. It gets even worse with water in the system, since the hydrogens unlock most of organic chemistry and all kinds of fun acids and reactive species.

我很好奇二氧化碳在辐射环境下稳定性如何？辐射分解产生的氧离子、氢离子，通常会重新结合成水，游离气体会溶解配对，最多生成过氧化物。但二氧化碳会产生碳沉积物和氧气，还会形成酸性物质。沉积物会堵塞管路，氧气会加速设备腐蚀。如果系统里有水，情况会更糟，氢会引发各类有机化学反应，生成多种酸性和腐蚀性物质。

Eleanortonn-t3z
Switching from steam to super critical carbon dioxde generators might improve thermal plants overall.

火电厂把蒸汽机组换成超临界二氧化碳机组，整体性能可能会大幅提升。

Darkmatter321
I like how the Chinese mike drop without making any noise.

我就喜欢中国人这种低调干大事、不声不响就拿出成果的样子。

theresjer
The world is holding a lot of China's beer these days.

如今全世界都在等着看中国拿出更多惊艳成果。

kamsunleong6648
If China didnt restrict rare earth exports to the US, Trump wouldn't have back down from his 145% tariff on Chinese imports. He thought this would break the Chinese resolve and force them to the negotiating table on his terms. But as you know the Chinese didnt even bother to pick up the phone and ignored him. Rare earth is China's Trump card.
Besides this, you may not because that US is heavily dependent on Chinese pharmaceutical ingredients to manufacture your drugs and medication as well as their R&D to develop new drugs. Without the Chinese inputs your healthcare cost would skyrocket.
Just two examples. There are plenty more.

如果中国不限制对美稀土出口，特朗普也不会取消对中国商品加征的145%关税。他本以为这招能击垮中国，逼中国按他的条件谈判。结果大家都知道，中国根本不理他，连电话都不接。稀土就是中国的王牌。

除此之外，你可能不知道，美国生产药品、研发新药，高度依赖中国的原料药。没有中国供应，美国的医疗成本会暴涨。这只是两个例子，类似的情况还有很多。

SultanDesync
China's technical institutes have been producing 3x the number of engineers as The US. They will build the future if that metric sustains much longer

中国工科院校培养的工程师数量，是美国的三倍。

如果这个势头保持下去，未来世界将由中国建造。

user-tk2jy8xr8b
Always thought that China was the supercritical CO2 generator

我一直觉得，中国本身就是一台超临界二氧化碳发电机。

mnomadvfx
Ironically they are both the worlds largest renewables manufacturer and consumer.

讽刺的是，中国既是全球最大的可再生能源设备生产国，也是最大的消费国。

russon22
We could have gone in this direction with profits going into research and development like China did here and in many other examples. But no, in America the profits always go to shareholders, and we wonder why the Chinese continue to outperform us more and more. I know, let's go to war with them so we can remain dominant. That tired old trick is about over with. I'm getting tired of the wars.

我们本可以像中国一样，把利润投入研发，走这条技术发展路线。但美国没有，利润全进了股东腰包，然后我们还纳闷为什么中国越来越领先。我懂了，干脆和中国开战，保住我们的主导地位。这套老把戏快行不通了，我也早就厌倦战争了。

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