Lanzhou uranium enrichment plant
| CNNC Lanzhou Uranium Enrichment Co., Ltd. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Built | 1958 to 1964 |
| Operated | 1964-present |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 36°09′03″N 103°31′06″E / 36.150744°N 103.518431°E |
| Industry | Civil nuclear |
| Products | |
| Area | 142,600 m2 (35.2 acres) |
Lanzhou uranium enrichment plant (Chinese official name: CNNC Lanzhou Uranium Enrichment Co., Ltd., weapon program codename: Plant 504) is the largest
In 1958 construction began with Soviet assistance, based on the gaseous diffusion facility of the Ural Electrochemical Combine in Novouralsk. In 1960 Soviet advisors were recalled due to the Sino-Soviet split. Chinese researchers led by Wang Chengshu completed the theoretical design for the plant.[2]
Between 1963 and 1964, American
In January 1964, the site produced its first highly enriched uranium, and by October 1964, it had produced at least the 15 kilograms used in the Project 596
HEU production ended in 1979, as China pivoted to civilian nuclear power. The gaseous diffusion plant produced LEU from 1980 until its shutdown in 2000. To meet increasing demand from new
See also
- Project 596, first Chinese nuclear test
- China and weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons
- hydrogen bomb, and space technology
- Ural Electrochemical Combine, analogous first Soviet gaseous diffusion plant, heavily influenced Lanzhou design
- K-25, first ever gaseous diffusion plant, part of Manhattan Project
References
- ^ ISSN 0892-9882.
- ^ "王承书：我不能等人家把中国建设好了再回来". 澎湃新闻. June 25, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ISSN 0892-9882. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ISSN 1944-5571. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
- ^ "China started operation of two new enrichment plants in 2023". IPFM Blog. December 15, 2023. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
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