Shanghai Electric Delivers the First Domestic Steam Generator Water Chamber Head Forging for the "Guohe One"

On September 28, the first domestic water chamber head forging for the "Guohe One" steam generator, manufactured by Shanghai Electric, completed acceptance and was officially shipped at Shanghai Electric Shangzhong Casting and Forging Co., Ltd.

The water chamber head is a key pressure-bearing core component of the "Guohe One" steam generator, with a single-piece net weight of 90 tons. It features a complex structure with ultra-large dimensions, ultra-thick cross-sections, and irregular multi-nozzle geometry, making it the world's largest nuclear power irregular complex-structure large forging, with manufacturing difficulty far exceeding that of similar products for existing domestic nuclear power reactor types.

Facing this world-class extreme manufacturing challenge, Shanghai Electric concentrated its efforts to successively break through four major core technical difficulties: 500-ton-class ultra-pure low-segregation large steel ingot manufacturing, integrated forging forming technology for multi-nozzle spherical heads, precise control of microstructure and properties for ultra-thick irregular heads, and precision machining of ultra-large irregular components in confined spaces, ultimately achieving first-time qualification of the forging in physical and chemical testing and non-destructive testing.

During the project advancement process, all relevant parties of the enterprise established a close collaborative mechanism around material development, process validation, and manufacturing execution, forming a complete closed loop from raw material supply and equipment support to testing and evaluation. Group leaders visited the manufacturing site multiple times to investigate, understand project progress and product physical status, and coordinate to resolve development bottlenecks. The final product was completed and delivered 20 days ahead of the contract milestone, setting a manufacturing cycle benchmark of 19 months and 5 days for the first water chamber head.

Large forgings are the cornerstone of the high-end equipment manufacturing industry. The successful delivery of this ultra-large irregular water chamber head forging marks the completion of the first complete set of domestic large forging development for the "Guohe One" steam generator. It is not only a major breakthrough for Shanghai Electric in high-end nuclear power forging manufacturing, but also a practical achievement of the collaborative innovation model of the "Guohe One" industrial chain alliance. It will strongly support the batch construction of "Guohe One," promote key core components to break free from import dependence, and firmly hold the initiative of key strategic nuclear power equipment in our own hands.