China prepares for a new era of nuclear expansion

Sputnik International reports:

China prepares for a new era of nuclear expansion

China is significantly expanding its uranium enrichment capacity, with two new large centrifuge plants set to begin operations as early as late 2026.

The facilities, operated by China National Nuclear Corporation, are being built in the cities of Lanzhou and Hanzhong, in Gansu and Shaanxi provinces, respectively.

Each plant will add an estimated 1.5–2 million SWU (Separative Work Units) per year, a standard measure of uranium enrichment capacity, using second-generation centrifuges. That would bring China’s total enrichment capacity to roughly 14.4 million SWU annually — a major increase from its current level.

China currently operates three major enrichment facilities:

◼️ Lanzhou (Plant 504)

◼️ Hanzhong (Plant 405)

◼️ Emeishan (Plant 814)

The expansion comes as Beijing prepares for a major increase in nuclear power generation. Under China’s 15th Five-Year Plan for 2026–2030, the country is targeting around 110 GWe (gigawatts of electric capacity) from nuclear power by 2030.

Thanks Sputnik, but let us now look at Chinese commetary:

☢️China is expanding its uranium enrichment capacity

China has begun construction of its sixth uranium enrichment plant using centrifuges (CEP-6) at a site in Lanzhou.

According to the British research center VERTIC, the new complex closely resembles the size and layout of the two most recently built facilities and will likely be equipped with modern Chinese second-generation centrifuges.

The new facility is estimated to have a capacity of 1.5–2 million SWU (separative work units) per year—enough to significantly increase China’s national uranium enrichment capacity.

Satellite imagery and publicly available Chinese documents confirm the construction of two process halls, each 364 meters long and 27 meters wide.

Officially, the new plant is considered part of China’s civilian nuclear program. China is rapidly expanding its nuclear power sector: the installed capacity of its nuclear power plants has already exceeded 63 GW and is expected to reach 88 GW by the end of the decade. To fuel this number of reactors, Beijing will require approximately 5 million additional SWU of uranium enrichment capacity.

However, such projects inevitably attract attention. Although the existing facilities in Lanzhou operate under civilian regulation and show no indications of separate military infrastructure, uranium enrichment technologies are considered dual-use. They form the basis both for producing fuel for nuclear power plants and, if the enrichment level and political decision were changed, could have implications for military programs.

The construction of CEP-6 is another indication that China is systematically developing one of the world’s major nuclear fuel infrastructures. This not only supports the country’s energy independence but also significantly expands its strategic potential for decades to come.

📌 The last statistic that I saw just in the past few weeks, is that China now has 640 nuclear warheads.  Of course this enrichment announcement is part of the prequel of the meeting with Trump.   Although this is power generation, the focus is on enrichment.