Hainan Nuclear Power, CNNC Jianzhong, and CNNC Precision Sign Special Cooperation Agreement to Jointly Tackle the Full Process of Core Components for Nuclear Fuel Assemblies

To implement the relevant special deployments of CNNC and strengthen the independent controllability of the nuclear fuel industry chain and supply chain, Hainan Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., CNNC Jianzhong Nuclear Fuel Element Co., Ltd., and CNNC (Yibin) Precision Manufacturing Co., Ltd. officially signed a special cooperation agreement on nuclear fuel assembly grid strips and springs on October 22 in Yibin, Sichuan. This move marks substantive progress by CNNC in advancing the coordinated strengthening and consolidation of the two major sectors of the nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear power generation.

Grid strips and springs are the core supporting and positioning structural components of nuclear reactor fuel assemblies, and their manufacturing precision and mechanical durability directly determine the operational stability of fuel elements under extreme in-core neutron irradiation and strong scouring conditions. According to the tripartite agreement, the cooperating parties will establish a close coordination mechanism connecting upstream and downstream, and carry out full life-cycle verification work centered on performance improvement of grid strips and springs, including product qualification, batch production precision manufacturing, in-core trial operation assessment, and post-irradiation examination and analysis.

The division of responsibilities among the parties in the cooperation chain is clear: Hainan Nuclear Power, as the reactor operating organization, undertakes in-core operation regulatory declaration, quality supervision and review, and comprehensive evaluation of long-term in-core safety and reliability; CNNC Jianzhong, as the overall integrated manufacturing unit of nuclear fuel assemblies, leads the quality control of the complete fuel assembly, qualified supplier admission evaluation, implementation of product qualification, and quality supervision during the batch production stage; CNNC Precision, as the upstream precision manufacturing unit, fully ensures the industrial mass-production manufacturing quality, compliance filing, and micro-tolerance quality control of grid strips and springs. Subsequently, the three parties will strictly advance joint efforts in accordance with project milestones to ensure the efficient implementation of domestically produced core components and their conversion into actual operational benefits for commercial nuclear power plants.