OREANDA-NEWS. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced that the digital instrumentation and control (I&C) system for nuclear power plants in China, developed jointly by Mitsubishi Electric and China Techenergy Corporation Ltd. (CTEC), has begun commercial operations. The system is installed in the first unit of the Fujian Ningde nuclear power plant constructed by China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Co., Ltd. (CGNPC), and is the first of 14 digital I&C systems for which Mitsubishi Electric and CTEC received orders in July 2007 as part of the first commercial collaboration between China and Japan in the field of nuclear power.

The digital I&C system enables overall control and monitoring of the nuclear power plant for safe operation and efficient power generation. The system comprises a main board for controlling plant operations, non-safety control cabinets, safety-protection cabinets and related software equipped in each cabinet.

Mitsubishi Electric and CTEC carried out designing, assembly and testing. The system was delivered in January 2011. Mitsubishi Electric is coordinating the project as the consortium leader and is manufacturing the safety-protection cabinets, while CTEC is manufacturing the non-safety control cabinets. The installed I&C system has approximately 180 cabinets, 112 of which Mitsubishi Electric supplies.

In July 2007, Mitsubishi Electric and its consortium partner CTEC received an order for six digital I&C systems for CPR1000-type nuclear power plants in Liaoning and Fujian Provinces from China Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation Ltd. (CNPEC), an engineering subsidiary of CGNPC in cooperation with Mitsubishi group companies, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Corporation. This was followed by an order for four systems for plants in Guangdong and Fujian Provinces in 2009, an order for two systems for plants in Guangxi Province in 2010 and an order for two systems for plants in Guangdong Province in 2011. Of the 16 CPR1000 nuclear power plants in China, 14 will use digital I&C systems developed by Mitsubishi Electric and CTEC.

Nuclear power capacity in China is expected to increase from 13GW at present to 58GW by 2020, and then 200GW by 2030. More than 60 new nuclear power plants are planned to be operating by midcentury.

CGNPC, a major electric power company, owns seven of China's 16 operating nuclear power plants and 15 of 29 additional plants under construction. The company plans to build approximately 10 within the next five years.

Mitsubishi Electric aims to further strengthen its nuclear power business overseas and win more orders for digital I&C systems.