Nation develops nuclear plant safety system
China has successfully designed digital control safety system (DCS) for nuclear power plants after over 10 years, becoming the fourth country to independently grasp the technology after the U.S., France and Japan.
The State Assets Administration Committee and China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group (CGN) announced at a press conference Wednesday that Chinese-made and designed DCS have received an independent engineering review in the I&C System (IERICS) report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), thepaper.cn reported.
The DCS, or Hemu System, controls more than 260 systems in a nuclear power plant, the running of nearly 10,000 pieces of equipment and all sorts of processes, and is seen as the nuclear plant's "nerve center." It also monitors the plant and shuts it down in emergencies.
In the past, China relied on importing DCS, which is expensive and has information safety issues.
So far, only CGN and Japanese Mitsubishi Corporation in the world have the ability to develop, produce, identify, operate and maintain the DCS.
China Technology, which is under CGN, was established in 2005 and the company began DCS research and development in 2007.
China Technology general manager Jiang Guojin told thepaper.cn that IERICS reviews the safety, structure design, software and hardware design, and developing process of a system. The review result is seen by all 151 IAEA member states.
It means that the system has acquired a "ticket" to the global market and has great significance for Chinese nuclear equipment manufacturers to promote its global influence, said Jiang.
In April, the IAEA expert group finished eight days of on-site inspections. The review lasted 10 months, and the company had to explain more than 200 technologies and had more than 100 files reviewed.
According to Jiang, the Hemu System is being used in the construction of multiple new machines, with its safety and advanced technologies in use.
It can save every nuclear machine group 300 million yuan and be used to revise China's current nuclear plants and new plants in development, Jiang added.
