2019 Nuclear Business Platform Asia, Beijing

Heather traveled to Beijing to speak at the NBP Asia conference on the keynote panel.

We learned about early challenges with deployment of AP1000, and how schedule and cost overruns were combatted in future construction using lessons learned from previous construction and modular design elements that could be manufactured and deployed on site.

Met lots of amazing people, including a lot of women and mothers

A new marketing tool we should consider - nuclear reactor stuffies!

Meet EPR-1000 (it definitely needs a better pet name).

After the conference, had a chance to tour Hualong One

We got on buses to tour the plant and also the nearby manufacturing facility. I learned that they had designed their facility right nearby the plant site to do assembly-line manufacturing of many of the large components for building plants - reactor vessels and containment structures included. They planned to build even more units.

Outside the manufacturing facility

It was pretty impressive to see the machine that heated and bent the 8-inch thick steel into a cylindrical vessel.

Inside the visitor center. These young men were piping engineers.

The visitor center had a lot of great information, all around a center room which housed the simulator.

Many of the workers didn’t seem accustomed to a tall blonde american women being excited about nuclear energy -

(and taking so many photos).

I stayed with a great family during my first night of the trip. The two young girls were able to communicate with me some in English, and chose to join me for noodles.