Rolls-Royce to supply safety-critical instrumentation and control systems to Chinese reactors

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has been awarded a contract by China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corporation (CGNPC) to supply its SpinlineTM digital safety instrumentation and control (I&C) technology for the modernisation programme of the Ling Ao nuclear power plant.

The contract covers the modernisation of the Neutron Instrumentation Systems for reactor units 1 and 2 of the Ling Ao Power Plant. The original analogue platforms will be replaced with the latest digital safety technology that was installed in the plant’s newer phase II reactor units 3 and 4.

Benoit Chabre, President, Instrumentation and Control said: “Rolls-Royce is proud to have served the civil nuclear industry in China since the early 1990s. We are a world-leader in safety I&C and our neutron instrumentation technology will be deployed in each of China’s current and planned fleet of 22 CPR-type reactors. We are committed to working with our customers to supply products and support services that enable them to achieve the highest standards of safety, reliability and cost effectiveness.”

The Neutron Instrumentation System is a safety-critical I&C system that ensures the integrity of the nuclear reactor. Compliant with international nuclear safety I&C requirements, it uses Rolls-Royce SpinlineTM technology to enable utilities to optimise the safety, availability and maintenance of nuclear power plants.

Rolls-Royce supports a number of key phases of the global nuclear programme, including providing advice to governments and operators, supply chain management, and manufacturing and technical engineering support. The Group provides safety-critical instrumentation and control systems to 70% of China’s civil nuclear reactors in operation or under construction, to all 58 of France’s operational nuclear reactors and to more than 200 nuclear reactors across 20 countries worldwide.

1. Rolls-Royce is a world-leading provider of power systems and services for use on land, at sea and in the air, and has established a strong position in global markets - civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy.
2. Annual underlying revenue was £11.3 billion in 2011, of which more than half came from the provision of services. The firm and announced order book stood at £60.1 billion at 30 June 2012, providing visibility of future levels of activity.
3. Rolls-Royce employs over 40,000 people in offices, manufacturing and service facilities in over 50 countries. Over 11,000 of these employees are engineers.
4. In 2011, Rolls-Royce invested £908 million on research and development, two thirds of which had the objective of further improving the environmental performance of its products, in particular reducing emissions.
5. Rolls-Royce supports a global network of 28 University Technology Centres, which connect the company’s engineers with the forefront of scientific research.
6. Rolls-Royce has been powering Greater China for half a century, since its Dart engines were selected to power the Vickers Viscount aircraft in 1962. China is a key market, supply chain partner and manufacturing location for the group. As a trusted partner, Rolls-Royce is committed to contributing to China’s major growth industries of Civil Aviation, Marine, and Energy.
7. Rolls-Royce has a large and highly experienced nuclear skills base with approximately 3,000 employees in the UK, France, the Czech Republic, North America and China.
8. Rolls-Royce provides nuclear power utility vendors and operators with integrated, long-term solutions and support services. These services span the whole reactor lifecycle, from concept design through to obsolescence management and plant life extension. With nuclear expertise including component manufacturing, licensing, project and supply chain management as well as world-class engineering, the company has been a key player in the industry for over 50 years.
9. Spinline™ is a Rolls-Royce patented safety class 1E digital I&C solution. It is the technology that underpins Rolls-Royce’s Reactor Protection System and Neutron Instrumentation System. Spinline™ can be used in new nuclear power plants and also those undergoing the modernisation of existing safety I&C systems. It has been successfully installed in more than 60 PWR and VVER nuclear reactors worldwide.
10. The Ling Ao nuclear power plant is located in the Guangdong Province.