Kazakhstani-Chinese nuclear fuel factory kicks into high gear

Ulba FA, the Kazakhstani-Chinese factory manufacturing fuel for nuclear power plants (NPPs), has become fully operational three years after its launch. According to Kazatomprom, the factory has produced 200 tons of low-enriched uranium in the form of fuel assemblies, which is enough to reload six nuclear reactors.

Ulba FA is the only nuclear fuel manufacturer in Central Asia. The project is a joint venture between the Ulba Metallurgical Plant (UMZ) and China General Nuclear Power Corporation.

The plant was launched in November 2021 and has been steadily increasing its production capacity according to its initial plan. The factory exports all fuel assemblies it produces to Chinese NPPs and will continue to do so for the next 20 years thanks to long-term contracts with China.

A fuel assembly is an engineered structure filled with fuel pellets arranged in rod arrays, which are used as fuel for NPPs. In Kazakhstan, fuel pellets for these rod arrays are produced by the UMZ, a subsidiary of Kazatomprom.

In 2023, the CEO of UMZ, Sergey Bezhetskiy, stated that Ulba FA would be able to supply fuel for the first Kazakhstani NPP if it was built under a Chinese or French design. He also noted that the plant could increase its capacity to 400 tons if it operates in two shifts.