Nuclear Proliferation TechnologyTrends Analysis - International ...

PNNL -14480
As with the United States, time from initial construction to first operation took a
minimum of two years but because of process difficulties with the initial equipment, it
took an additional three years for production of HEU.
The total time from construction start to HEU production at the D-1 facility was five
years.
3.1.3.3 United Kingdom
The U.K. began construction of a gaseous diffusion plant as a part of its weapons
program in 1950. The plant, completed by early 1952, did not produce LEU until 1953
and HEU until 1954. The facility’s capacity was tripled in 1959. In 1969, production
was switched to LEU. In the 1970’s, the facility was used to "re-enrich" depleted
uranium until 1980, when the process became uneconomical due to falling "fresh"
uranium prices 9 . The facility was decommissioned in 1982.
Similarly to the United States and the Soviet Union, the first facility took two years to
construct, and then took another two years to produce HEU.
The time from construction start to HEU production was four years.
3.1.3.4 China
Instead of developing an indigenous gaseous diffusion technology, China purchased
surplus equipment from a Soviet designed facility (Section 3.1.3.2). Construction began
in 1958. In 1960, with the plant nearly completed, political issues caused Soviet
technicians to leave China and Chinese technicians began modification of the original
Soviet plans to simplify the design and shorten construction time.
Construction was essentially complete in 1961, but because the Chinese had to develop
expertise in operations and maintenance the facility did not produce 90% HEU until
1964 10 .
Plant construction took three years, and the time to produce HEU once construction was
complete was three years.
3.1.3.5 France
Construction of the first French gaseous-diffusion facility for military purposes began in
1960. The plant was constructed in phases, with the final phase being complete in 1967.
As with other such facilities, problems occurred in construction and operation, but the
initial production of LEU occurred in 1964.
9 "That Secret Factory" Dismantled, Financial Times (London), 11/3/82
10 China Builds the Bomb, John Wilson Lewis and Xue Litai, Stanford University Press, 1988
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