China Builds Complete Nuclear Industrial System in 55 Years

2010/09/26

The year 2010 marks the 55th anniversary of the development of China's nuclear industry. Over the past 55 years, China's nuclear industry has stuck to independent innovations, effectively guaranteed national defense, actively promoted the peaceful utilization of nuclear power and established a new, complete type of nuclear industrial system that only a few countries worldwide own.

China's nuclear industry has also made significant achievements in the historical transformation from mainly military applications to combined military and civilian applications. China pursues the peaceful application of nuclear power in national security and social development.

China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has participated in the construction of all domestic nuclear power stations in service and under construction. From 1999 to the first half of 2010, CNNC's in-service nuclear power units have been in normal operations with several operating indicators taking the lead worldwide.

CNNC already has the capacity to independently design, build, operate and manage nuclear power stations with capacities of 300 megawatts, 600 megawatts and 1,000 megawatts, built up a nuclear power brand through independent innovations, and contributed to fulfilling the objectives for energy efficiency and emissions reduction.

In 2010, CNNC developed CP1000 pressurized water reactors over which China has intellectual property rights. Each reactor has 1 million kilowatts of power-generating capacity per unit. This is China's current one and only 1,000-megawatt-level nuclear power unit meeting export conditions.

In terms of the construction of nuclear power plants, China Nuclear Engineering Group has completed all different types of nuclear power projects at home and abroad and fully mastered the core technologies required for building nuclear reactors with installed capacities of 300 megawatts, 600 megawatts, 700 megawatts, 900 megawatts, 1000 megawatts or higher.

China Nuclear Engineering Group has developed a set of nuclear power plant technologies and intellectual property rights, gained the ability to provide various engineering services and established an effective management system for building the nuclear power plant complex.

In addition, the company has trained a large number of talented management personnel who are also familiar with basic technologies. They also have professional personnel who are good at scientific research, design, construction or repair and can independently build nuclear power plants with installed capacity of at least 1 million kilowatt-hours including the AP1000, EPR and other types of third-generation plants.

CNNC has developed a complete nuclear fuel-recycling system and is the only one that provides fuel elements for all nuclear power plants on the Chinese mainland. In addition, the company has built China's largest production line of nuclear fuel elements for pressurized water reactors and has been producing high-quality nuclear fuel products with comparative prices for many years. CNNC's efforts have ensured the timeliness of nuclear fuel supply and safety of the fuel and have helped China achieve a leapfrog development in the nuclear fuel-recycling industry.

The application of nuclear technologies is an important part of the peaceful use of nuclear energy. There have been more and more successful applications of nuclear technologies for peaceful use in China in recent years, and a new industry has emerged. CNNC has the most complete nuclear technology innovation system and largest production base in China, and has set up a number of high-tech subsidiaries. The explosive detection system developed by CNNC is one of the most advanced and practical technologies of its kind, and was once used in the Beijing Olympic Games, Shanghai World Expo and other major events.

 
(People's Daily Online  )