Academician Peng Shilu
In the history of China’s nuclear power development, there was a pioneer who remained anonymous for thirty years. He was Peng Shilu, son of revolutionary martyr Peng Pai, the first chief designer , and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He once said, “I have only done two things in my life: building nuclear submarines and building nuclear power plants.” This short sentence encapsulates his magnificent life dedicated to the country.
Peng Shilu was born in Haifeng, Guangdong Province in 1925. His father, Peng Pai, died a martyr in his childhood, and Peng Shilu endured hardship and imprisonment, struggling to survive amidst displacement. These hardships did not extinguish his patriotic spirit. Under the tutelage of the revolutionary forces, he studied diligently and later went to the Soviet Union to further his studies in chemical engineering. In 1956, when the country urgently needed talent to advance the atomic energy industry, when asked if he would be willing to change careers, he answered without hesitation: “As long as the motherland needs me, of course I am willing.” From then on, he inextricably linked his fate with China’s nuclear power industry.
In 1958, Peng Shilu returned to China after completing his studies, only to find a blank slate: no complete blueprints, a lack of core data, external technological blockade, and very few domestic experts in nuclear power. In those years of scarcity and hardship, he led his research team, studying books and calculating data , repeatedly simulating nuclear power plant designs with rudimentary computing equipment. They jokingly called it “building a nuclear submarine while eating cornbread.” As the core leader, he oversaw the entire process of demonstration, design, and testing of the submarine’s nuclear power plant, taking responsibility and making decisive decisions, earning him the nickname “Peng the Decisive Maker” among his colleagues. Countless days and nights of hard work and overcoming difficulties resulted in the successful full-power operation of the land-based prototype reactor, paving the way for China’s first nuclear submarine, the “Changzheng-1.” In 1970, China’s first nuclear submarine was successfully launched, joining the ranks of countries possessing nuclear submarines and building a solid nuclear shield in the deep sea.
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After the development of the nuclear submarine was completed, Peng Shilu did not stop. Following the reform and opening up, he devoted himself to civilian nuclear power construction, presiding over the import and overall design of the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant , and leading the independent research and development of the second phase of the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, propelling China’s nuclear power industry from nothing to a path of independent development. He always maintained a simple and humble attitude. Some called him the “Father of China’s Nuclear Submarines,” but he firmly declined, saying: “I am not a father, just a pioneer in the field of nuclear power. The credit belongs to the entire team, to the people of the motherland.”
Decades of dedicated research and high-intensity work took a toll on his health, bringing him to the brink of death several times. Yet, he remained devoted to the nuclear cause, showing concern for the industry’s development even in his old age. On March 22, 2021, Academician Peng Shilu passed away at the age of 96. In accordance with his wishes, his ashes were scattered into the sea, resting in peace beneath the deep blue waters he had dedicated his life to, alongside nuclear submarines, continuing to safeguard the vast maritime borders.
From a suffering orphan to a pillar of the nation, Peng Shilu dedicated his life to upholding his original aspirations. He made no earth-shattering declarations, only silent perseverance; he sought neither fame nor glory, only the prosperity of his motherland. His pioneering spirit of self-reliance, daring to be the first, and selfless dedication transcends time and continues to inspire future generations.
Today, beneath the deep blue sea, nuclear submarines silently patrol; above the earth, nuclear power plants smoothly transmit electricity. The peace and development of this land will forever remember this pioneer who dedicated his life to deep-sea diving for his country.
