Shanghai Firm Advances Nuclear Tech at Sanmen Plant

When nuclear power plant safety hangs by a thread and core technologies remain controlled by foreign entities, how can China secure its nuclear future? The answer came on August 27 when Shanghai Automation Instrumentation Company announced a landmark achievement: the successful development and shipment of China's first domestically produced JE52 Class 1E field-filled differential pressure transmitters for Unit 3 of the Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant in Zhejiang Province.

Localization: A Strategic Imperative

The SH1153 series pressure/differential pressure transmitter (JE52) serves as the "central nervous system" for safety monitoring in CAP1000/CAP1400 third-generation nuclear power plants. These critical devices monitor pressure and differential pressure parameters with precision directly impacting reactor safety. Despite their importance, China had long relied entirely on imported versions of this equipment, making it one of the few remaining bottlenecks in the nation's nuclear technology chain.

With escalating geopolitical tensions and growing supply chain vulnerabilities, the localization of JE52 nuclear-grade transmitters has transformed from a technical challenge into a strategic necessity for national energy security and industrial stability.

Engineering Breakthrough Forges Nuclear "Core" Competence

Recognizing the urgency, Shanghai Automation Instrumentation elevated the JE52 localization project to strategic priority status, forming a powerhouse consortium with Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research & Design Institute and State Nuclear Power Automation System Engineering Company. After over a year of intensive research, the team conquered key technological hurdles including high-precision measurement and extreme condition adaptation for Class 1E remote flange transmitters, ultimately delivering a superior domestic alternative.

Far-Reaching Implications

The successful deployment of China's indigenous JE52 transmitters marks a quantum leap in the country's autonomous nuclear instrumentation capabilities. This achievement not only resolves a critical technological dependency but provides Chinese nuclear operators with safer, more reliable, and cost-effective alternatives. More significantly, it establishes a blueprint for domestic enterprises to pursue breakthroughs in other core technologies, injecting sustained innovation momentum into China's nuclear sector.

Shanghai Automation Instrumentation's accomplishment demonstrates Chinese industry's capacity to overcome complex technical barriers and contribute to national strategic security. The company has committed to further advancing nuclear technology localization, continuing to remove technical bottlenecks and safeguard China's autonomous development of high-quality nuclear power infrastructure.