Safe and Efficient Development of Nuclear Power in China Uranium conversion faces new opportunities and challenges

As the main process production process in the nuclear fuel cycle, uranium conversion is an important link between other process links
.
As China's nuclear power industry enters a new stage of safe and efficient development and the competition in the international market becomes increasingly fierce, uranium conversion production and operation are facing new opportunities and challenges
.

Industry experts said that during the "Thirteenth Five-Year Plan" period, the domestic demand for natural uranium purification and conversion products dominated by uranium hexafluoride will increase greatly, and it is expected that from 2021 to 2030, domestic demand growth space will still be large
.
At present, the existing production capacity is difficult to maintain the balance of domestic supply and demand, and it will take some time
for the uranium conversion project under construction to form a certain production capacity.
In the long run, large-scale investment and construction of uranium conversion facilities are needed to meet the development needs of
China's nuclear industry.

Natural uranium conversion is the process
of further converting uranium oxide water metallurgical products in nature into an intermediate product prepared for uranium hexafluoride (UF6).
The converted uranium hexafluoride is enriched to obtain enriched uranium, which is further made into uranium dioxide, which is sintered at high temperature to make nuclear fuel pellets, and then wrapped in corrosion-resistant metal alloy cladding to become nuclear fuel elements
.

It is understood that in the 60s and 70s of last century, the international uranium purification and conversion process technology route was basically mature, but the technical scheme and key process technology, main equipment, etc.
are still constantly
developing.
Since the 90s of the 20th century, the international uranium conversion industry has entered the stage
of large-scale production and group supply.
At present, the international factories with uranium conversion capacity and uranium conversion activities are mainly distributed in Russia, France, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and China
.
In addition, uranium conversion activities
have been carried out in Australia, India, Japan, Pakistan, South Africa, Spain and Brazil.

The development of nuclear power is the direct driving force
for the large-scale development of uranium conversion industry.
The gradual liberalization of the international uranium purification and conversion market and the gradual reduction of secondary supply sources have brought more opportunities for domestic enterprises to participate in international market competition and undertake incoming processing
.
According to the national energy structure adjustment and the development trend of nuclear power, scientifically plan and rationally layout the construction of uranium conversion capacity, enhance the core competitiveness of uranium conversion products through technological progress and scale efficiency, and ensure the formation of long-term, stable, safe and effective supply guarantee capacity
in China.