Kunlun Lubricating, a subsidiary of CNPC — China’s leading oil and gas group — held its Partner Conference in Beijing to present a comprehensive update of its product portfolio. Among the sectors explicitly covered are nuclear reactors, alongside hydroelectric plants, wind turbines, and high-speed rail systems. This is no minor detail: the ability to supply qualified lubricants for nuclear environments is one of the most demanding technical requirements in the entire energy industry.
Kunlun’s positioning in the nuclear sector is part of a broader import substitution strategy. The company claims to have already replaced more than 40 foreign-sourced lubricant products and resolved over 20 technical challenges that were until recently considered dependent on overseas supply. Its current range includes oils, additives, greases, and specialty fluids — products that must meet extremely tight tolerances, especially in nuclear applications where chemical stability under radiation exposure and long-term thermal performance leave no room for error.
The other area Kunlun has focused on is AI datacenters. High-density computing facilities generate massive thermal loads, and server cooling has become a major engineering challenge. Kunlun addresses this with proprietary immersion cooling fluids and cold plate solutions, already deployed at several national supercomputing centers across China. The connection with nuclear is not coincidental: both sectors demand absolute operational continuity and products that do not degrade under prolonged stress.
The conference was attended by representatives from FAW Jiefang, Harbin Electric, Mingyang Smart Energy, Inspur Group, and China Electrical Equipment, each presenting results achieved through collaboration with Kunlun on specific applications. The presence of Harbin Electric is particularly noteworthy: it is one of China’s leading manufacturers of turbogenerators for both nuclear and conventional power plants, and partnering with a domestic supplier of certified lubricants directly reduces dependence on foreign supply chains.
The broader strategic context is China’s East Data, West Computing initiative, which redistributes computing infrastructure across the country and drives demand for reliable energy. China’s expanding civilian nuclear program — with dozens of reactors under construction or in advanced stages of licensing — is generating growing demand for qualified auxiliary materials, lubricants included. Having a domestic supplier capable of covering the entire chain, from power generation to server cooling, is a tangible advantage for the country’s industrial self-sufficiency.
Should China succeed in certifying these products for next-generation reactors — including the small modular reactor projects currently under development — Kunlun Lubricating could emerge as a reference supplier not only domestically but also in the markets where Beijing exports nuclear technology. Auxiliary materials are often overlooked in debates about nuclear energy, yet they are an integral part of the ability to build and operate plants independently.
