Nuclear energy is essential for China . The development it has experienced in this Asian country during the last two decades supports this statement. In 2002, China only operated two nuclear power stations. Today, there are 58 active facilities, with only the United States having more at 94 . There is no doubt that over the past twenty years, China’s civil and military nuclear program has advanced with dizzying speed, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
The heart of any nuclear program, including China’s, is uranium . This chemical element is present in nature in very low concentrations, usually found in rocks, soil, and water. Obtaining uranium is an expensive and complex process, as it requires intricate chemical methods to separate it from other elements and impurities . With 92 protons in its nucleus, uranium also has varying numbers of neutrons—ranging from 142 to 146 . Notably, the nucleus of an atom is comprised of protons, neutrons, and orbiting electrons. This builds the foundation for understanding the properties and behavior of uranium and its isotopes.
China’s Inaccessible Uranium Deposits
The varying number of neutrons in uranium indicates the presence of several isotopes , which are atoms with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons. Uranium-235, in particular, is the isotope predominantly used in nuclear fission reactors. When a neutron is bombarded into a Uranium-235 nucleus, it forms Uranium-236, which is typically unstable. The Uranium-236 splits into lighter nuclei—such as barium-144 and krypton-89 or cesium-137 and rubidium-96—while emitting an average of 2.5 neutrons . This remarkable process presents a fascinating characteristic: the sum of the masses of the resulting lighter nuclei is slightly less than that of the original Uranium-236. This “missing” mass is transformed into energy, a principle underpinning the astonishing potential of nuclear power.
China has predominantly sourced uranium for its nuclear power plants from regions such as Xinjiang, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Yunnan, and Sichuan. Additionally, it imports uranium from countries like Namibia , Kazakhstan , Russia , Uzbekistan , Canada , and Australia . Interestingly, China’s largest uranium deposit is situated in the Ordos basin in northern China, but it presents a significant challenge: it is difficult to exploit. Until recently, uranium extraction from this site was virtually inaccessible using existing technologies.
Years ago, technical limitations led the Chinese government to forego the exploitation of the Ordos basin. However, 2023 marked a turning point as they decided to initiate a project titled “National Uranium No. 1.” This ambitious plan aims to develop the necessary technology to extract and process uranium from the Ordos region, positioning China to significantly enhance its self-sufficiency in nuclear energy. The challenge lies in the fact that uranium is disseminated and mixed with other elements in sandstone, making extraction expensive and inefficient.
By mid-2024, China achieved a major milestone by producing natural uranium through in-situ leaching for the first time. According to the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) , the first uranium barrel was successfully produced using this innovative method. The process of in-situ leaching involves injecting a solution of carbon dioxide and oxygen into underground ore layers via wells. This solution dissolves the uranium, which is then extracted to the surface for processing. What sets China apart is not just the technical achievement; they have accomplished this in an economically viable and environmentally respectful manner, according to information released by the CNNC.
Image | Xataka
For further reading, visit: Interesting Engineering; and check out this related article on the largest nuclear power plant in the world, featuring seven reactors poised to resume operations after the Fukushima disaster.