Fuel-Cycle and Fissile Material Production Facilities

Fuel-Cycle and Fissile Material Production Facilities

China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) oversees China's nuclear fuel-cycle activities.

CHINA'S TOTAL CAPACITY

AREA OF FUEL-CYCLE	CAPACITY	KEY FACILITIES
Uranium Mining	?	China has 26 major uranium mines
Uranium Ore Processing/Milling (production of U308)	3,000 tons U per year; 454 tons U per year export capacity	Hengjian Hengyang China has around 14 reported facilities related to uranium ore processing
Uranium Refining and Conversion (production of UF6)	400 tons per year	Bureau of Nuclear Fuels China Academy of Atomic Science Guangyuan (possible site) Jiuquan Atomic Energy Complex (closed down) Lanzhou Nuclear Fuel Complex Baotou Nuclear Fuel Component Plant Sichuan UF6 Plant Tongxian Uranium Mining and Hydrometallurgy Institute Yibin Nuclear Fuel Element Plant
Uranium Enrichment	400-500,000 SWU per year	Fudan University Lanzhou Nuclear Fuel Complex(closed and being decomissioned) Heping Uranium Enrichment Plant(civilian, built with Russian assistance) Xian Enrichment Facility (possible enrichment facility for weapons-grade uranium) China-Russia joint project
Fuel Fabrication	150 tons HM per year	Dakeng Daya Bay Lanzhou Nuclear Fuel Complex(closed and being decomissioned) Baotou Nuclear Fuel Component Plant Yibin Fuel Plant (YFP) New Yibin Fuel Fabrication Plant (reportedly under construction)
Reprocessing (Plutonium Extraction)	?	Guangyuan (closed and being decomissioned) Jiuquan Atomic Energy Complex (closed down) Lanzhou Nuclear Fuel Complex (closed and being decomissioned) Gobi Desert (two plants under construction) Pilot Reprocessing Plant (under construction) (possible Japanese technical assistance)
Heavy Water Production	40 tons per year	One heavy water production facility
Plutonium and Tritium Production	Production of plutonium for weapons ceased in 1991, though not officially announced	Jiuquan Atomic Energy Complex (closed down) Guangyuan (possibly being decomissioned) Baotou Nuclear Fuel Component Plant Yibin Nuclear Fuel Component Plant
Spent Fuel Waste Storage/ Management	?	Gobi Desert Lanzhou Nuclear Fuel Complex(closed and being decomissioned) Lop Nur East China Disposal Site (preselection phase) Northwest China Disposal Site (under construction at Urumqi) South China Disposal Site (near Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station) Southwest China Disposal Site (preselection phase)

ITALICS INDICATE FACILITY NOT CURRENTLY IN OPERATION

For more on China's fissile material production, see:

[CHINA'S FISSILE MATERIAL PRODUCTION AND STOCKPILE]

This material is produced independently for NTI by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2007 by MIIS.