China unveils software for independent nuclear power technology

BEIJING - China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) made public the country's first software package tailored to its own nuclear power technology on Thursday, a crucial step for exporting nuclear construction.

"This package covers the design, manufacturing, installation, testing and operation of a nuclear power project based on our Hualong One design. It will pave the way for China to export entire nuclear power projects and technologies," said Luo Qi, head of the China Nuclear Power Institute, one of the software developers under the CNNC.

The Hualong One design is the country's third generation of nuclear reactor design for safer and more efficient operations that will be widely adopted in both domestic and overseas nuclear power projects.

The software package, called NESTOR, consists of 68 pieces of software that will help with more efficient reactor design, safety analysis, live tests, nuclear refueling and emergency response systems for a plant based on the Hualong One design.

The state-owned CNNC invests in, builds and operates nuclear power plants.

The software was developed by CNNC in cooperation with various research institutes, including those from Tsinghua University, Xi'an Jiaotong University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

According to Yu Peigen, CNNC deputy general manager, some of the software is already in use by domestic nuclear power plants and developers will keep updating them to match the next generation nuclear power development.