The strategic importance of supercritical CO2 and next-generation power

On December 20, 2025, the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced that Chaotan One, the world’s first commercial supercritical carbon dioxide power generator, began commercial operations. Chaotan One is a joint effort developed by the CNNC and the Nuclear Power Institute of China (NPIC) and is the world’s first commercial 2×15 megawatt (MW) supercritical CO₂ waste-heat power generation demonstration project.

While platforms like autonomous drones and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled weapon systems dominate discussions on irregular warfare and strategic competition, the energy systems required to power these technologies receive little attention by comparison.

In this context, the race to commercialize and industrialize supercritical CO2 (sCO2) systems is a critical national security imperative that will dictate which military forces can sustain high-power operations in contested, austere environments.

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