An up-close look at how China's earliest nuclear power plant cluster grows from follower to leader, offers solutions for global green energy transition

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, [email protected]

SOURCE GLOBAL TIMES