On November 27, 2020, the world's first reactor of the "Hualong One" – Unit 5 of CNNC Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant – was successfully connected to the grid for the first time. On January 30, 2021, the world's first "Hualong One" nuclear power unit was officially put into commercial operation. On May 20, 2021, at 01:15, the first overseas "Hualong One" project – Karachi Nuclear Power Plant Unit 2 in Pakistan – was officially put into commercial operation.

This marks that China has finally broken the foreign monopoly on nuclear power technology and officially joined the ranks of countries with advanced nuclear power technologies. At the same time, it is of great significance for China to achieve the leap from a major nuclear power country to a strong nuclear power country, further enhancing the confidence of countries along the "Belt and Road" in Hualong One, making it a "national name card" for China's nuclear power to go global. As early as 2013, Anhui Cable Co., Ltd. (Anhui Cable), a subsidiary of Far East Smarter Energy Co., Ltd. (Far East Energy, Stock Code: 600869), began to cooperate with CNNC in the R&D of nuclear-grade cables for Hualong One.

Hualong One is an advanced million-kilowatt pressurized water reactor nuclear power technology developed by CNNC based on more than 30 years of experience in nuclear power research, design, manufacturing, construction and operation, taking into account the lessons learned from the Fukushima nuclear accident and the latest safety requirements in China and globally. It represents the culmination of China's nuclear power technology and experience over the years.

Hualong One has a design life of 60 years, adopts a 177-assembly core design with an 18-month refueling cycle, achieving a plant availability rate of up to 90%. It innovatively uses a safety system combining active and passive technologies, double containment, and other advanced features, fully meeting the highest international safety standards.

Notably, Hualong One is a third-generation pressurized water reactor nuclear power innovation achievement with complete independent intellectual property rights. All core components are domestically produced, with a localization rate of over 85%, realizing a technological leap in China's nuclear power industry from independent design, manufacturing, construction and operation to full ownership of independent intellectual property rights.

Behind the construction of the Hualong One project are top enterprises from various fields, and the successful completion of the project would not have been possible without the high-quality products and services provided by these leading companies. Taking cables as an example, nuclear-grade cables, as one of the key supporting products for nuclear power plants, are the "arteries" ensuring the normal operation of all systems. Failure to meet performance requirements under both normal and accident conditions could lead to unpredictable and severe consequences, imposing extremely stringent demands on nuclear-grade cables.

Unlike conventional cables, nuclear-grade cables must meet strict criteria: non-flammable under fire, safe operation for 60 years even at 90°C, and stable performance after exposure to high-dose radiation, high temperature and pressure, and immersion in acid and alkaline solutions. Due to these extraordinary requirements and unparalleled R&D and manufacturing difficulties, nuclear-grade cables have long been regarded as the "crown jewel" of the cable industry. A seemingly simple nuclear-grade cable integrates cutting-edge technologies from over a dozen fields including nuclear physics, communications, chemical engineering, polymer materials, and radio electronics, creating a high technical threshold long dominated by a small number of foreign companies.

As a leading enterprise in China's cable industry, Anhui Cable was determined to break the foreign technological monopoly and deeply participated in the R&D of Hualong One. Through continuous investment in R&D, the company provided high-quality nuclear-grade cable products and technical support for the project, ensuring the safe and reliable operation of Hualong One's "power arteries".

Specializing in the R&D, production and sales of nuclear-grade cables, Anhui Cable has over 20 years of experience in the nuclear power sector. Its nuclear-grade cables are widely used in power transmission, control and measurement systems inside and outside the containment of Generation II and III nuclear power plants. With its solid foundation and strong capabilities in nuclear power, Anhui Cable was selected by China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd. After nearly three years of research, testing and verification, Anhui Cable successfully overcame the technical challenges of cables for third-generation nuclear power plants, developing both in-containment and out-of-containment nuclear-grade cables for Hualong One. Featuring high safety and excellent performance, these cables effectively withstand harsh environments. They passed the national defense science and technology achievement appraisal organized by the Science and Technology Department of CNNC, which recognized the technology as reaching international advanced levels and filling domestic gaps. The products also won the Second Prize of the Nuclear Energy Industry Science and Technology Award and obtained design and manufacturing licenses issued by the National Nuclear Safety Administration.

According to engineers from Anhui Cable, the products achieved multiple "firsts". For example, they adopted a special cable structure using low-smoke zero-halogen flame-retardant irradiated cross-linked polyolefin insulation and sheath materials for the first time, featuring compact structure, small outer diameter, light weight, high temperature resistance and radiation resistance. The company also conducted the first domestic calculation, analysis and testing of the conversion relationship between beta and gamma rays, solving key technical challenges in development. Based on the safety requirements of third-generation nuclear power, it was the first to define the harsh environment qualification conditions for Hualong One's containment interior.

In 2016, Anhui Cable signed supply contracts for the demonstration Hualong One reactor at Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant and the Karachi Project K in Pakistan. Notably, Karachi Nuclear Power Plant Units 2 and 3 represent the first overseas order for China's homegrown third-generation nuclear power technology, the largest ongoing cooperative project between China and Pakistan, and a landmark achievement in promoting the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the Belt and Road Initiative, and China's nuclear power "Going Global" strategy. Anhui Cable's participation in this project further promoted its nuclear-grade cable products to go global "onboard Chinese ships".

Anhui Cable has always regarded innovation as the primary productive force, investing heavily in R&D, continuously introducing scientific research talents, and conducting forward-looking research by integrating resource advantages. The company holds numerous patents, has been awarded the "Provincial Recognized Enterprise Technology Center Certificate", and has won multiple provincial and municipal science and technology awards. Among them, the "Class 1E Cable for Hualong One Under Harsh Environments" received awards from the Chinese Nuclear Energy Association and Anhui Province. Most recently, Anhui Cable was recognized and successfully selected into the second batch of national specialized, refined, distinctive and new "Little Giant" enterprises announced by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, highlighting its position as a core supplier in the nuclear power market.

In addition to cables for Hualong One, Anhui Cable has developed cables for floating offshore nuclear power plants and traveling wave reactor cables for fourth-generation nuclear energy technology, establishing an increasingly comprehensive R&D reserve system and striving to build a leading brand in nuclear-grade cables.

Hualong One is one of the most widely accepted third-generation nuclear power reactor models in the global nuclear power market, a major landmark achievement of China's nuclear power innovation and development, and the flagship brand for China's nuclear power to go global. In the future, Anhui Cable will continue to adhere to the development philosophy of "excellence", deepen its presence in the nuclear power field, and rely on advanced R&D and manufacturing capabilities to become a leading service provider of nuclear power cables. While striving toward the grand vision of becoming a "global leader in nuclear cables and special cables", it will help China's nuclear power go global.