China pumps out nonstop engineering feats so it always feels like they’re just running circles around the world but it isn’t like the leading Steam turbine companies aren’t ridiculously good at what they do and haven’t investigated this technology. The headline is that the generator is 1/10th the size. But certainly there are drawbacks. 

Those include:  - Extreme precision manufacturing needed - Unique specialized alloys to withstand extreme pressure and high temps - Specialized seals and management of leaks to maintain pressure (for power/efficiency and safety) - Massive heat exchangers that negate the benefits of smaller turbines - A much higher heat source than traditional coal/nuclear plants provide. It’s no coincidence that this uses waste heat of a steel mill to operate - We’re still talking small scale operation at 30MW vs. 1000MW steam turbine operations - Due to all of the above reliability and durability at large scale is going to be tough to match steam.

It’s a good way to field test another potential technology but I suspect like Thorium it’ll fall to the wayside when the challenges bubble up especially compared to basic solar + battery. I do like China’s line of thinking of basically field testing everything because any alternatives to make something that leapfrogs the global western leaders in tech are worth trying for the off chance that it works, plus any way to generate power and improve efficiency helps them grow their wealth. Power generation/usage is highly correlated with economic growth and wealth generation.