Jingjiang air purification firm powers China's nuclear projects

Xida Air Conditioning in Jingjiang, Taizhou, Jiangsu province. [Photo/WeChat account: tzfabu]

A total of 22 air purification units manufactured in Jingjiang in Taizhou, East China's Jiangsu province are being used to treat radioactive air around the clock at Guohe One, an advanced third-generation nuclear reactor which recently began commercial operation in Shandong province.

The units were manufactured by Xida Air Conditioning. Founded in 1978, the company entered the highly specialized field of nuclear air purification in 1988, embarking on a long-term effort to develop core technologies. To overcome technical barriers, the company invested heavily in research and development, dedicating half of its annual profits – more than 2 million yuan ($296,000) at the time – to innovation.

The company's independently developed Type II iodine adsorber was first deployed at the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant in 1991. Three years later, Xida became the sole supplier of Type II iodine adsorbers for Pakistan's Chashma Nuclear Power Plant, China's first commercial nuclear power project overseas. In 2012, it introduced the more advanced Type III iodine adsorber, which was installed at the Sanmen Nuclear Power Plant in Zhejiang, home to the world's first AP1000 reactor.

Today, Xida's purification systems are used in around 60 percent of China's nuclear power projects. In the first half of this year, the output value of its nuclear-related products reached 50 million yuan, while orders have already been filled through 2028, with contracts worth approximately 200 million yuan.