High neutron economy is one of the hallmarks of the CANDU R Registered trademarks of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) used under exclusive license by Candu Energy Inc. (Candu).technology,enabling its capability to directly and efficiently utilize low fissile fuel resources such as natural uranium and recycled uranium (RU) recovered from spent fuel of light water reactors.Building on the solid foundation of the great success of the Third Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant project construction and the plant's top operational performance in China,leading Canadian and Chinese nuclear energy enterprises are engaged in a multi-stage strategic cooperation in the joint engineering study,development,demonstration and application of advanced fuels.Further to the completion of in-core demonstration irradiation in the Qinshan CANDU 6 reactors and the subsequent initiation of the full core implementation of natural uranium equivalent (NUE) fuel made of recycled uranium and depleted uranium (RU/DU),the parties have launched a joint program in the engineering design and preparing for deployment of the Advanced Fuel CANDU R Reactor (AFCR) for more efficient utilization of higher burnup RU/DU fuel and low enriched uranium and thorium (LEU/Th) fuels.While the operating CANDU 6 and the new Generation III Enhanced CANDU 6 R (EC6 R) reactors are ideal for efficient use of natural uranium or natural uranium equivalent fuel made from low fissile recycled uranium,the EC6-based AFCR is more optimized for alternative fuels such as higher fissile recycled uranium and thorium-based fuels.The international cooperation in advanced fuel reactor technological development and deployment is of great importance for opening up a viable path of implementing alternative fuels starting with recycled uranium and thorium,contributing to the sustainable growth of nuclear energy utilization in China and other emerging nuclear power markets. <<