China’s Xiluodu Dam, among the world’s largest hydropower plants, has reportedly switched entirely from foreign control chips to domestically developed technology.
The transition addresses national security and supply chain concerns, according to Loongson Technology, a leading Chinese chip supplier.
The dam, on the Jinsha River at the Yunnan-Sichuan border, previously used programmable logic controllers, or PLCs, from Germany’s Siemens and France’s Schneider Electric. These have now been replaced with systems powered by Loongson’s 3C6000 processors, as reported by the South China Morning Post (SCMP)
The move comes after concerns over industrial system vulnerabilities. A decade ago, the Stuxnet computer worm targeted Siemens PLCs to disrupt Iran’s nuclear program, showing how critical such systems are to national security.
A power giant gets a tech upgrade
Xiluodu is China’s third-largest hydropower station after the Three Gorges and Baihetan dams and the fourth-largest globally. It has nine 770-megawatt turbine units on each bank, totaling 13.86 gigawatts of installed capacity.
On August 4, Loongson announced the deployment of the NJ400 series PLC, developed by Atekon Technology and powered by Loongson processors. The NJ400 replaced Schneider Premium and Siemens S7-300 PLCs across the station.
According to SCMP, Loongson said this “marks the complete localization of the core control equipment of the tubular valve control system, laying a solid technological foundation for the long-term safe and stable operation of this world-class hydropower station with independent and controllable technology.”
Loongson leads China’s tech independence drive
Loongson Technology began as part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Computing Technology. It spun off in 2011 to commercialize its innovations and now plays a key role in China’s push to reduce reliance on foreign technology.
Its Loongson CPUs have been under development since 2001. Last month, the company launched the 3C6000 processor, based entirely on Loongson’s own instruction set architecture, LoongArch. This new processor removes the need for foreign licenses and overseas supply chains.
The US blacklisted Loongson in March 2023, limiting access to American technology. Despite this, the company continues to expand its influence across China’s industrial sector.
Domestic PLCs expand beyond hydropower
PLCs are vital for industrial operations, including power generation, rail systems, petrochemicals, shipping, and metallurgy. They monitor equipment, control processes, and protect information systems.
International brands like Siemens and Schneider have dominated China’s PLC market for years. In 2023, Siemens controlled over 50 percent of medium and large PLC sales, while domestic producers held under 6 percent.
Loongson reports NJ400 PLCs with 3C6000 processors are also installed at the Three Gorges and Xiangjiaba dams. Atekon has deployed domestic PLCs in high-speed rail, coal mining, thermal power, and petrochemical industries. It also became a Class A supplier for Japan’s Toshiba Power and is supplying PLCs for Southeast Asian projects.
Replacing foreign PLCs strengthens China’s industrial control systems against cyberattacks and supply chain issues.
