The development and construction of College of Power and Energy Engineering goes through four periods: the period of PLA Military Institute of Engineering (from March, 1952 to April, 1966), the period of Harbin Engineering Institute (from April, 1966 to August, 1980), the period of Harbin Shipbuilding Engineering Institute (from August, 1980 to May, 1994) and the period of Harbin Engineering University (ever since May, 1994).

PLA Military Institute of Engineering

The predecessor of College of Power and Energy Engineering is No. 352 power professoriate belonging to the shipbuilding department of College of Naval Engineering at the beginning of the period of PLA Military Institute of Engineering. In 1954, the ship power professoriate was divided into two professoriates. One is the professoriate (or major) of marine internal combustion engine and its power plant, the other is the professoriate of power plant of marine steam turbine. In 1955, students were recruited for the first time and the length of schooling was five years. In 1966, all soldiers in PLA Military Institute of Engineering transferred to civilian work together and the PLA Military Institute of Engineering was renamed Harbin Engineering Institute. In the same year, College of Naval Engineering was renamed College of Ship Engineering and the teaching system was unchanged. In December, 1969, the Military Commission decided to divide Harbin Engineering Institute into several parts and move them to the areas far from borderlines.In 1970, Harbin Shipbuilding Engineering Institute was founded on the basis of College of Ship Engineering (College of Naval Engineering in the period of PLA Military Institute of Engineering) at that time. In 1975, College of Marine Power was founded on the basis of the power major of College of Ship Engineering and the sequence number of College of Marine Power in Harbin Shipbuilding Engineering Institute was the third. Since then, marine power has become a college, developed and enjoyed a boom. With the development of higher education, Harbin Shipbuilding Engineering Institute was renamed Harbin Engineering University with the permission of State Education Commission of the PRC in April, 1994. In the same year, College of Marine Power was renamed College of Power Engineering. In March, 2001, College of Nuclear Energy and Power Engineering was founded on the basis of College of Power Engineering. On December 12, 2005, College of Nuclear Energy and Power Engineering was renamed College of Power and Energy Engineering because College of Nuclear Science and Technology was founded on the basis of the nuclear major in College of Nuclear and Power Engineering.