Sichuan Huadu Nuclear Energy Wins Control Rod Drive Mechanism Orders for 4 Nuclear Power Units

On August 24, news came from Sichuan Huadu Nuclear Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd., located in Dujiangyan, Chengdu, Sichuan, that the company has won the orders for control rod drive mechanisms for 4 units among the first batch of nuclear power units approved for construction during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period in China, with a total new contract value of 504 million yuan.

The winning projects include Units 3 and 4 of Zhejiang Jinqimen Nuclear Power Plant, as well as Units 1 and 2 of Phase I of Liaoning Zhuanghe Nuclear Power. According to the previous approval arrangement by the State Council Executive Meeting, the new batch of nuclear power projects involves a total of 4 projects and 8 units, including Phase II of Zhejiang Jinqimen Nuclear Power, Phase III of Guangdong Taipingling Nuclear Power, Phase I of Liaoning Zhuanghe Nuclear Power, and Phase I of Shandong Laiyang Nuclear Power, all adopting China's self-developed third-generation nuclear power technology.

The control rod drive mechanism is key equipment in the reactor control and safety protection system of a nuclear power plant, used to perform actions such as lifting, holding, and inserting the control rod assemblies, and plays an important role in reactor startup and shutdown, power regulation, and safe shutdown. The manufacturing of this equipment involves multiple processes including special materials, precision machining, special welding, non-destructive testing, complete assembly testing, and a nuclear-grade quality assurance system, with high technical barriers and manufacturing precision requirements.

Data shows that Huadu Nuclear Energy is one of the few domestic manufacturers holding the civil nuclear safety equipment manufacturing license for control rod drive mechanisms, and has delivered and undertaken supply contracts for control rod drive mechanisms for 23 "Hualong One" nuclear power units at home and abroad. With the landing of these orders for 4 units, the company has secured approximately 50% market share in the niche segment of control rod drive mechanisms for this batch of approved units.

In terms of new product research and development, a major Sichuan provincial science and technology special project, led by the Nuclear Power Institute of China and jointly undertaken by Huadu Nuclear Energy and the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, was launched on August 11. The project focuses on the research, development, and manufacturing of a new type of high-lifting-force control rod drive mechanism for large pressurized water reactors, and is scheduled to complete acceptance review by the end of March 2028.

The company's production processes also reflect high precision requirements. In the manufacturing of integrated rod position indicator components, operators are required to wind more than 30 coils on a cylinder over 4 meters long, with each coil having approximately 1,700 turns, and the resistance value deviation after winding must be controlled within 3%. The drive rod component exceeds 7 meters in length, with assembly precision tolerances required to be controlled at the micron level, along with strict cleanliness requirements.

According to the company, Huadu Nuclear Energy currently holds 17 invention patents and 51 utility model patents, and its control rod drive mechanism hot-state endurance limit test has reached 18 million steps. With the execution of this batch of orders and the advancement of subsequent R&D projects, the relevant achievements will continue to serve the domestic localization of key equipment for self-developed third-generation nuclear power and subsequent reactor types.