CNNC's Hanzhong enrichment complex (Plant 405) has five centrifuge plants with an estimated 2.6 million SWU a year, including three Russian-supplied plants and two plants using Chinese centrifuges. A new large plant (CEP6) at a site 4.7 km to the south had its main building completed in December 2025 and could start operating as early as late 2026.
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Current state
| Status | Expanding |
| Country | China |
| Location | Hanzhong, Shaanxi |
| Operator | CNNC (Shaanxi Uranium Enrichment Co., Plant 405) |
| Ownership | China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), state-owned. |
| Facility type | Enrichment plant |
| Technology | Gas centrifuge |
| Products | LEU |
| Capacity (tSWU/yr) | 2,600 |
| Target capacity (tSWU/yr) | 4,100 |
Notes
Current estimate 2,600 tSWU (IPFM Sept 2026; IPFM Dec 2023 said ~2,700; WISE lists 1,000). Target 4,100 is the low end of IPFM's 4,100-4,600 tSWU/yr after CEP6. IPFM gives 'as early as late 2026' for CEP6 start-up; no normal-operation year stated, so target year is not recorded. China does not publish enrichment capacity; all figures are outside estimates by Hui Zhang (IPFM/Belfer) from satellite imagery. WNA (Sept 2026) estimates CNNC capacity at 13,789 tSWU in 2025 rising to 18,230 tSWU by 2030, assuming China supplies its domestic fleet.
Timeline
- 2017 — Hanzhong's indigenous second-generation centrifuges entered operation. (source)
- 2024 — Construction of Hanzhong CEP6 began at a new site 4.7 km south of the existing plant (late 2024). (source)
- 2025-12 — The main enrichment building and cooling towers of Hanzhong CEP6 were completed. (source)
The timeline is append-only: corrections are added as new entries. Stated targets appear in the current-state table, never as milestones.
NNN coverage
About China National Nuclear Corporation
- China approves eight reactors across four nuclear projects 2026-08-03
- China hot-tests first MW-class helium turbine for reactors 2026-07-31
- Analysts size Africa's SMR market at $105B, 15 GW by 2035 2026-09-07
- Rosatom signs EPC contract for Kazakhstan's first nuclear plant 2026-09-04
- Tianwan 7 begins loading its first nuclear fuel 2026-08-13
- Tianwan 8 completes cold functional tests 2026-08-10
Related facilities
- Angarsk Electrolysis Chemical Combine (AECC) Operating · Russia
- BWXT DUECE Pilot Plant (Erwin) Planned · United States
- CNEA Pilcaniyeu enrichment plant Shut down · Argentina
- CNNC Emeishan uranium enrichment plant (Plant 814) Expanding · China
- CNNC Lanzhou uranium enrichment plant (Plant 504) Expanding · China
- Electrochemical Plant (ECP), Zelenogorsk Operating · Russia
- Global Laser Enrichment Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility (PLEF) Licensing · United States
- INB Resende uranium enrichment plant Expanding · Brazil
See all 29 facilities in the Uranium Enrichment & HALEU Tracker →
Sources
- China to operate two more large enrichment plants — International Panel on Fissile Materials, checked 2026-10-11
- China started operation of two new enrichment plants in 2023 — International Panel on Fissile Materials, checked 2026-10-11
- Uranium Enrichment Facilities (updated 2 May 2026) — WISE Uranium Project, checked 2026-10-11
- Uranium Enrichment (updated 29 Sep 2026) — World Nuclear Association, checked 2026-10-11