China's nuclear power safety and efficient development of uranium conversion are facing new opportunities and challenges
Source: Cable Network Date: 2015-08-31
Industry experts said that during the "Thirteenth Five-Year Plan" period, domestic demand for natural uranium hexafluoride-based purification and conversion products will increase greatly. It is estimated that in 2021-2030, domestic demand growth space is still large. At present, it is difficult to maintain domestic supply and demand balance with existing production capacity, and it will take some time for uranium conversion projects under construction to form a certain capacity. In the long run, large-scale investment in uranium conversion facilities is needed to meet the development needs of China's nuclear industry.
Natural uranium conversion is the process of further transforming uranium oxide hydrometallurgy products in nature into intermediate products to prepare uranium hexafluoride (UF6). The converted uranium hexafluoride is enriched to obtain enriched uranium, which is further made into uranium dioxide, which is made into nuclear fuel pellets by high-temperature sintering, and then wrapped in a corrosion-resistant metal alloy shell to become a nuclear fuel element.
It is understood that in the 1960s and 1970s, the technical route of the international uranium purification and conversion process was basically mature, but the technical schemes, key process technologies, and main equipment were still under continuous development. Since the 1990s, the international uranium conversion industry has entered the stage of large-scale production and group supply. At present, the factories with international uranium conversion capacity and engaged in uranium conversion activities are mainly distributed in Russia, France, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and China. In addition, Australia, India, Japan, Pakistan, South Africa, Spain and Brazil also have uranium conversion activities.
The development of nuclear power is the direct driving force for the large-scale development of the 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 processing of incoming materials. According to the national energy structure adjustment and the development trend of nuclear power, scientific planning and rational layout of uranium conversion capacity construction will enhance the core competitiveness of uranium conversion products through technological progress and "two legs" of economies of scale, ensuring the formation of long-term, stable, Safe and effective supply guarantee capabilities.