China expands uranium supply chain

• 6 years ago (2017-08-01)
• David Flin

Asia 846 Nuclear 639

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China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) has announced that it is expanding its civil uranium supply chain to meet increased domestic demand and for global civil projects. CGN has put together agreements in many uranium-producing countries, including Namibia, Kazakhstan, Australia, and Canada.

Joseph Jacobelli, senior analyst of Asian utilities and infrastructure at Bloomberg Intelligence, said: “It is extremely important for Chinese nuclear power operators to secure uranium resources overseas for long-term supply security.”

CGN was founded in the 1990s, and signed a 10-year deal with the Kazakhstan state-owned company Kazatomprom in 2010.

CGN has announced that it will increase its nuclear fuel supply, including uranium mining, nuclear fuel pellets and nuclear fuel fabrication, in order to cater for rising demand for its civil power plant projects. Yu Zhiping, General Manager of CGNPC Uranium Resources, a subsidiary of CGN, said that the nuclear fuel fabrication plant in Kazakhstan, a joint venture between Kazatomprom and CGN, is expected to be operational by 2019. Yu said: “The fuel will be supplied mostly to CGN projects at home and abroad. The fuel will also be supplied to Kazakhstan’s planned nuclear plant.”

He Yu, Chairman of CGN, said that nuclear energy plays an “irreplaceable role in China’s energy security.” He said that it also helps to reduce air pollution caused by coal-fired power generation. He has called for the mass production of China’s third generation Hualong One reactor, suggesting that up to six civil nuclear plants should be built annually up to 2020. This would increase nuclear capacity in China to at least 150 GW by 2030.