On September 28, 2020, State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) held a press conference in Shanghai to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute Co., Ltd (SNERDI) and the independent achievements of its third-generation nuclear power technological innovations. Guo He One, the landmark achievements in China’s third-generation nuclear power technological innovation, which is China’s independent brand of nuclear power technology and also represents world’s advanced model of third-generation technology, was launched in the press conference.

Zheng Fangneng, Level 2 Counsel of Department of Major Science and Technology Project in the Ministry of Science and Technology; Deng Ge, Secretary-General of China Atomic Energy Authority and Director of the Second Department of System Engineering of State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense; Zhang Yihao, Deputy Director of News Center of State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission; Qin Zhijun, Deputy Director of Nuclear Energy Department of National Energy Administration; Zubin, Deputy Secretary of Party Leadership Group and Board Director of SPIC; Liu Xiangmin, Member of Party Leadership Group and Vice President of SPIC attended the press conference.

Lu Hongzao, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of State Nuclear Power Technology Company & Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute Co., Ltd, delivered a theme speech titled “From Honor of China to Guo He One: the 50-year History of SNERDI and Our Visions”. In his speech, Lu reviewed SNERDI’s 50-year history from the independent R&D and design of Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant to the self-reliant R&D and design of Guo He One, and reported and forecasted the future goals and paths of SPIC’s nuclear energy business and SNPTC (SNERDI) development.

Liu Xiangmin formally announced the launch of the Guo He One brand.

Then Zu Bin hosted the Q&A session to answer questions of reporters, who were from 24 mainstream media and industry media including People’s Daily, Xinhua News Agency, Science and Technology Daily, etc. and asked questions about the superiority of Guo He One, the self-reliant achievements of third-generation nuclear power technological innovations and the future development of the nuclear energy industry.

Zheng Mingguang, Chief Nuclear Engineer of SPIC and Chief Designer of Guo He One; Hao Hongsheng, Director of Nuclear Energy Safety and Development Department (Office of Major Nuclear Science and Technology Project); Wang Yingrong, President and Secretary of the Party Committee of State Nuclear Power Demonstration Plant Co., Ltd; Wu Fang, President and Secretary of the Party Committee of Shandong Nuclear Power Co., Ltd; Yan Jingquan, Vice President & Chief Engineer of State Nuclear Power Technology Company & SNERDI and Deputy Chief Designer of Guo He One responded to the questions from reporters.

Relying on engineering project practice and National Science and Technology Major Project of Large Advanced Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Nuclear Power Plants, SPIC developed Guo He One based on the introduction, digestion and absorption of third-generation passive PWR nuclear power technology for China’s third-generation nuclear power independent development strategy. Guo He One is a large advanced passive PWR design with independent intellectual property rights, and also a brand of Chinese indigenous nuclear power technology. Under the leadership of relevant ministries and commissions of the State and the Party Leadership Group of SPIC, and through 12 years of hard work, SNERDI, the mainstay entity in “introducing, digesting, absorbing and re-innovating” third-generation passive nuclear technology, has completed the R&D of Guo He One with efforts of more than 26,000 Chinese technical personnel from 477 organizations. Guo He One has broken overseas technical monopolies in many areas. Over 90 percent of Guo He One equipment is domestic, and all its key equipment and materials such as reactor coolant pump (RCP), squib valve, steam generator (SG), reactor vessel internals, control rod drive mechanism (CRDM), large forgings, nuclear-grade welding consumables and 690 U-tube are self-reliantly designed. The construction cost for the reactors can be reduced by another 20 percent after achieving mass production, which is competitive in the global market.

In 2016, Guo He One had passed the joint safety review, which is the most extensive and deepest in Chinese history; and the general safety review of International Atomic Energy Agency successively, receiving both domestic and international recognition. It also passed the evaluation from experts in Patent Protection Association of China, who believed that Guo He One is “with independent intellectual property rights and export rights”. This has provided a strong guarantee for the mass production and “going global” of China’s third-generation advanced nuclear power technology. So far the construction design of Guo He One demonstration project has been completed by 99.2%.

Driven by advanced nuclear energy technological innovation, SPIC focuses on high-quality development of nuclear energy and strives to build the most competitive and world-class nuclear energy technology innovation and engineering construction platform by accelerating the "three expansions": the expansions from nuclear power to nuclear energy, from single use of nuclear energy to the integrated utilization of multiple energy resources, and from nuclear energy to nuclear technology utilization and nuclear environmental protection, thus promoting nuclear energy innovations in multiple fields. We will accelerate the expansion of nuclear power to nuclear energy and the comprehensive utilization of energy resources, fully merge into the digital and intelligent development trend, integrate into the global innovation network in a more proactive way, and strengthen the basic R&D and technological breakthroughs to provide Chinese wisdom for the world's nuclear energy technology innovation.