Dongfang Electric Signs Low-Pressure Diaphragm Supply Agreement with Électricité de France, Supporting the Upgrade and Retrofit of European Pressurized Water Reactor Nuclear Power Units

Recently, Dongfang Electric International Corporation (hereinafter referred to as "Dongfang International"), a subsidiary of China Dongfang Electric Group Co., Ltd., and Arabelle, a subsidiary of Électricité de France (EDF), officially signed a nuclear power steam turbine low-pressure diaphragm supply agreement. According to the agreement, Dongfang Electric will serve as a key equipment supplier, providing core steam turbine low-pressure diaphragm components for the life extension and modernization technical retrofit projects of pressurized water reactor (PWR) nuclear power units under Électricité de France.

For more than three decades, Dongfang Electric Group and Électricité de France have consistently maintained close strategic collaboration in the field of civil nuclear energy, from early technology introduction, digestion and absorption to jointly carrying out major engineering construction, achieving fruitful industrial results. The formal conclusion of this supply agreement is another key milestone achievement in the two parties' continuous deepening of exchanges and advancement of pragmatic cooperation in recent years around the coordination of the global nuclear energy industrial chain and supply chain. It marks the transformation of the strategic consensus formed by both parties in the fields of nuclear energy equipment manufacturing and aftermarket services into substantive engineering actions, and will strongly support the high-quality technical retrofit and long-cycle safe and stable operation of Europe's in-service nuclear power units.

The low-pressure diaphragm, as a core flow passage component of the energy conversion system of nuclear power half-speed steam turbines, its operating condition directly affects the thermal work efficiency and structural safety of the entire unit. This component is composed of a large number of high-precision stationary blades precisely assembled and arranged along the circumferential direction, forming a key channel that guides high-temperature and high-pressure saturated steam to expand and perform work. Due to withstanding complex fluid erosion and alternating thermal stress, it has extremely demanding industrial technical thresholds in terms of wear-resistant special material forming, large-diameter ring structural stiffness, and high-tolerance precision machining. Relying on its profound design and manufacturing heritage in the field of large million-kilowatt-class nuclear power steam turbine generator units, Dongfang Electric Group has continuously optimized the precision CNC machining and welding assembly processes for high-end heavy energy equipment, fully demonstrating the high-end delivery strength of China's nuclear power equipment manufacturing system.

Looking to the future, Dongfang Electric Group will rely on the advantages of its "one core, two wings" industrial strategic layout, continuously consolidate and deepen pragmatic collaboration with the French nuclear power industry, work together to address the multiple challenges of the global green and low-carbon energy transition and reshaping the resilience of the nuclear power supply chain, and promote the steady advancement of the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership in the "new sixty-year" journey through mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.