JIAXING, China, March 21,
2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A
report from Global Times: In the China Nuclear Power Science
and Technology Museum in Haiyan county, Jiaxing, East China's
Zhejiang Province, a quartz clock
hangs on the wall. Its two-foot square face, framed in deep brown
wood, exudes a vintage charm. Under dim museum lights, a beam
highlights the hour and minute hands, frozen at 12:15, marking the
historic achievement of December 15,
1991, when the Qinshan Nuclear Power plant successfully
connected its 300,000-kilowatt unit to the grid.
At that moment, a new chapter in China's nuclear power industry began, marking
a significant step from nothing to something. The Qinshan Nuclear
Power plant officially connected to the grid, ending the era of no
nuclear power in Chinese mainland, which is the seventh country in
the world capable of independently designing, constructing and
operating nuclear power plants.
Reflecting on that moment, Yu Hongfu, the plant's first
director, could hardly contain his excitement. "It was a
breakthrough from zero. After years of hard work, everyone was
looking forward to this day. We achieved it, and I was moved to
tears. China's nuclear power must
develop with us at the forefront. The road of Qinshan was very
challenging, but we succeeded," Yu recalled.
On Thursday, as the Qinshan Nuclear Power plant celebrated its
40th anniversary of its first plant's construction commencement,
the Global Times reporter visited to experience its innovative
journey from a "cradle" to an international pioneer.
After 40 years of development, the Qinshan Nuclear Power plant
has become the largest nuclear power base in China, with the most operating units and the
richest variety of reactor types, boasting nine operational units
and an annual electricity generation exceeding 52 billion
kilowatt-hours.
With a cumulative safe electricity generation of 860 billion
kilowatt-hours, equivalent to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by
800 million tons and planting forests equivalent to 545 West Lake
scenic areas, this first nuclear power plant in Chinese mainland is
presenting the world with a "Chinese solution" for green energy
transformation.
In the 1970s, the electricity supply in eastern China was frequently in crisis, severely
impacting economic development. As early as 1970, the Chinese
government proposed the construction of a nuclear power plant, and
the then premier Zhou Enlai presided over the approval of the first
nuclear power plant construction plan.
In March 1985, construction of the
Qinshan Nuclear Power plant began on the coast of Jiaxing,
Zhejiang.
Yu remembers that the road to the nuclear power plant was dusty
and bumpy. Everyone was eager to catch up on progress, often
forgetting to eat, but with no one living within dozens of miles,
once mealtime passed, there was no food available, and they
continued to work on empty stomachs.
In the museum, the Global Times reporter saw photos documenting
this difficult breakthrough. In a small room, people sat on long
benches for meetings, some stamping their feet to keep warm. Yu
recalled that a nuclear power plant consists of hundreds of
thousands of components, and quality could not afford any
mistakes.
Starting from scratch, experts relied on a few foreign nuclear
power plant blueprints stored in their memories to overcome the
challenges of a complete lack of talent, technology, and equipment,
gradually exploring and ultimately completing the design of the
Qinshan Nuclear Power plant.
In the early stages of construction, China's nuclear power technology was weak.
From blueprint design to the production of key equipment, the first
phase of the Qinshan project faced many "from zero to one"
challenges. For instance, during the welding of key equipment, an
overseas company promised to provide a technical manual for
$100,000 but attached two "additional
conditions": The use of this welding technology had to be reported
to the government of that country, and an expert from that country
had to supervise and monitor the welding on-site.
Faced with these unreasonable demands, the Qinshan technician
team decided to break through on their own. Chief designer
Ouyang Yu, along with renowned
welding expert Pan Jilian, conquered the key welding technology
within six months, saving the $100,000 for various independent technological
breakthroughs.
Subsequently, Qinshan Nuclear Power plant entered a "fast track"
of development, with the completion of the second and third phases
of the project, allowing China to
master 300,000, 600,000, and 1,000,000-kilowatt nuclear power
technologies.
The plant has also successfully transitioned from following and
keeping pace to leading in certain areas. This leadership is
reflected in the development of some patented technologies.
Huang Qian, chairman of the
Qinshan Nuclear Power plant, told the Global Times that they have
independently developed dynamic control rod technology, breaking
the foreign patent monopoly and improving the measurement
efficiency of control rod value by 50 percent. The related
achievements have been applied to more than 20 domestic units and
have also been exported to the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant in
Pakistan, becoming a technological
calling card for the Belt and Road.
The Global Times learned from the plant that it has partnered
with Haiyan county government to build a "nuclear power town,"
attracting over 100 related enterprises covering nuclear power
equipment manufacturing and nuclear technology applications,
forming an industrial cluster with a total output value exceeding
30 billion yuan and creating
approximately 20,000 local jobs.
Walking through this "nuclear industrial town," the Global Times
reporter can see many internationally renowned pharmaceutical
companies have settled here, furthering cooperation with the China
Nuclear Power in the development and production of isotopes and
other nuclear resources.
The trust of international partners is inseparable from the
rapid development of China Nuclear Power and its mature and stable
safety assurance system.
With 40 years of experience, Qinshan has cultivated a robust
nuclear safety culture and a skilled workforce adept at managing
multiple reactor types. Its safety management systems have set
benchmarks in the industry, achieving over 170 reactor years of
safe operation and a domestic record of 677 consecutive days of
safe operation for a heavy water reactor.
Additionally, the comprehensive operational performance of
Qinshan Nuclear Power plant remains among the best in the world. In
2023, the average capacity factor of the nine units at the plant
reached 96.8 percent, and the number of units with a perfect score
in the World Association of Nuclear Operators comprehensive index
is globally leading.
In the main control room of the 300,000-kilowatt nuclear power
unit, a circle of display screens summarizes thousands of alarm
devices. A technician told the Global Times, "If any valve or
pressure vessel in the unit malfunctions, there will be an alarm,
but currently, we see zero alarms displayed."
Standing on the observation deck of the nuclear power plant,
flocks of migratory birds can be seen flying overhead, with a
village just a wall away from the nuclear power station. Haiyan
county, where the power plant is located, is an important stop on
the global migratory route of birds between East Asia and Australia, with a large number of migratory
birds passing through each year, particularly egrets.
Under the careful protection and construction of the nuclear
power plant, more and more egrets have come to roost and forage
here. Looking far into the distance, egrets flap their wings
gently, taking flight; fish leap from the water, creating ripples;
and farmers' fields flourish against the backdrop of the nuclear
power plant.
https://enapp.globaltimes.cn/article/1330538
CONTACT: Tianshu Xu, xutianshu@globaltimes.com.cn
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