Analysis of the Development Process of China's Power Generation Equipment Industry
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In the field of major power generation equipment in China, the country has made remarkable progress, achieving the smallest gap with global standards and becoming the first to break through in this area. This achievement is not easily attained, but it is well-deserved. Over the past three decades, the Chinese power equipment manufacturing industry has gone through a journey from technology introduction, digestion and absorption, to independent innovation, optimization, and eventually reaching international levels. Leading companies like Harbin Electric, Shanghai Electric, and Dongfang Electric have played a crucial role in this transformation, driving the industry toward a qualitative leap in core competitiveness.
From the early stages of raw material processing to full-scale design and production, Chinese manufacturers have moved from reliance on foreign technologies to being on equal footing with global giants. Today, they are even gaining an edge in competition. These leading firms have adopted a unique path—“introduction, digestion, absorption, and self-innovationâ€â€”which has allowed them to develop cutting-edge technologies and strengthen their market position.
China’s thermal power sector has also seen significant advancements, particularly in clean and efficient power generation. With strong national policy support, the development of supercritical units has become a milestone in the country's motor industry. Starting in the late 1980s, China began importing large supercritical units and gradually built up its own capabilities. The successful installation of the first two 600 MW supercritical units at Shidongkou Power Plant in 1992 marked a turning point, laying the foundation for local production.
By 2000, the government included the development of 600 MW supercritical units in the "Ninth Five-Year Plan," accelerating domestic production. As more units were manufactured and deployed, the reliance on foreign technology decreased significantly. Following that, Chinese manufacturers introduced ultra-supercritical technology from international partners like Mitsubishi and Siemens, further enhancing their capabilities.
Today, China leads the world in the mass production of both supercritical and ultra-supercritical thermal power units. Performance metrics such as efficiency, power supply stability, and coal consumption now match global standards. China has become the largest producer of supercritical units worldwide, and it continues to innovate by promoting large-scale air-cooled units, including the world’s first million-kilowatt ultra-supercritical direct air-cooled unit in 2010.
Experts have praised China’s achievements in thermal power, noting that the country has made great strides in developing advanced technologies in just a few decades.
In hydropower, China has also achieved remarkable success. Over the past 30 years, the Three Gorges Project served as a catalyst for the industry, enabling China to leap from 300 MW to 600 MW units and enter the global stage. The project featured 32 units of 700 MW each, making it the largest hydropower station in the world. Through international cooperation and domestic technological breakthroughs, Chinese manufacturers successfully developed and produced these units, achieving world-class performance.
The successful operation of the right bank units demonstrated that China could match and even surpass foreign technologies in terms of hydraulic stability and efficiency. Since then, domestic hydropower units have dominated the market in projects like Xiangjiaba and Xiluodu.
In nuclear power, China started in the 1980s and has since grown rapidly. The Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, commissioned in 1991, marked the beginning of China’s nuclear energy era. With continued investment and technological improvements, China has developed its own second-generation nuclear technology and is now advancing into third- and fourth-generation systems. Collaborations with international partners have helped transfer key technologies, while domestic efforts focus on independent design, construction, and operation.
Currently, China has established a complete third-generation nuclear power equipment system and is actively researching fourth-generation technologies. The country is steadily moving toward a future where it leads in safe, efficient, and sustainable nuclear energy solutions.