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Yibin Fuel Plant (YFP)
OTHER NAMES: Also known as the Yibin Nuclear Fuel Element Plant, the Yibin Nuclear Fuel Component Factory, Nuclear Fuel Component Plant, Plant 812, Yibin Nuclear Fuels Factory
GENERAL MANAGER: Chen Baoshan
Located in Yibin, Sichuan Province (104.34E/28.46N). Civilian light water reactor (LWR) fuel element plant. Yibin is the only factory that produces fuel elements for Chinese civilian reactors and naval fuel for nuclear submarines.
Yibin's initial operation began in late 1984. The plant began commercial operation in 1987, and was completed in 1988. (According to the IAEA, start-up occurred in 1993.)
In April 1994, China began producing nuclear fuel at Yibin for China's Daya Bay nuclear power plant. French experts conducted project construction appraisal for the Yibin fuel element plant.
Yibin produces fuel and control rod assemblies for the 300 MWe Qinshan and 900 MWe Daya Bay pressurized water reactors (PWRs). The plant has a specially adapted AFA fuel line (Framatome's fuel design) which has produced reloads for the Daya Bay nuclear power plant. The plant is being backfitted to produce high burn-up fuel and is being expanded to produce PHWR and VVER fuel elements.
Yibin uses the PWR process and has a capacity of 150 tons of HM (150 tons of uranium) per year.
Yibin has also produced nuclear fuel for plutonium production reactors. The plant produced and processed weapons-grade plutonium, but reportedly does not currently handle highly-enriched uranium (HEU) or separated plutonium. Yibin possibly produced thermonuclear fuels (lithium deuteride and tritium).
Yibin was built as part of the "Third Line" to duplicate the Baotou facilities.
YIBIN NUCLEAR FUEL COMPONENT COMPANY
Subsidiary of Jianzhong Chemical Industry Corporation (JCIC).
[Sources: "Framatome Fuels Qinshan's Phase 2," Nuclear Engineering International, March 1996, p. 4; "Late News In Brief," Nuclear News, March 1995; The Risk Report, November 1995, pp. 3, 7; Richard W. Fieldhouse, Chinese Nuclear Weapons, pp. 11-12; Yan Kong, "China's Nuclear Bureaucracy," Jane's Intelligence Review, July 1993, pp. 324, 326 "World Nuclear Industry Handbook 1995," Nuclear Engineering International, p. 123; IAEA, The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Information System: A Directory of Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities, 1995 Edition, p. 111; Lisbeth Gronlund, David Wright, and Yong Liu, "China And A Fissile Material Production Cut-Off," Survival, Winter 1995-96, pp. 151; Sichuan People's Radio Program (Chengdu), 11 April 1994, in JPRS-TND-94-010, 5 May 1994, p. 1; "Late News In Brief," Nuclear News, March 1995; Qian Fuyuan, "Introduction to China's strategy on nuclear fuel development and cycle," Nuclear Europe Worldscan, November/December 1999, pp. 43, 57.]
Updated: 11/26/2003
This
material is produced independently for NTI by the James Martin
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