China’s Domestically Developed Enriched Boric Acid for Nuclear Use Sees Large-Scale Application in Hualong One

Recently, China’s independently developed enriched boric acid for nuclear use was officially delivered to Unit 5 of the Guangdong Lufeng Nuclear Power Plant. This marks another major breakthrough in the localization of enriched boric acid, following the small-batch demonstration applications during the operation of Yangjiang Nuclear Power Unit 3 and Fangchenggang Nuclear Power Unit 4 in November 2024. The batch supply to the newly constructed Hualong One unit signifies that the domestic supply chain for enriched boric acid for nuclear use is now self-sufficient and controllable, representing a solid step forward for China in the development of key chemical materials for nuclear applications.

Enriched boric acid is a specialized chemical product obtained through isotope separation technology, which increases the abundance of boron-10 from naturally less than 20% to over 96%. It is primarily used to absorb some of the neutrons produced in the core of pressurized water reactor nuclear power plants, chemically supplementing the control of the core's chain reaction. It is a key chemical material ensuring the safe operation of nuclear power plants.

Due to its complex production process and stringent quality standards, China had long relied on imports. With the continuous expansion of nuclear power construction, supply chain security concerns became increasingly prominent.

Since 2022, CGN Suzhou Thermal Power Research Institute Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Suzhou Thermal Power Research Institute") has led the project on the "Localized R&D of Enriched Boric Acid for Primary Circuits of Nuclear Power Plants." The R&D team overcame challenges associated with traditional production methods, such as complicated processes, high energy consumption, and significant waste generation. They innovatively adopted new complexing agent separation technology and full material recycling synthesis technology. Through nearly a hundred simulation experiments and process optimizations, they ultimately achieved more than a 20% improvement in boron isotope separation efficiency, reduced impurity content by over 50%, and kept the product isotope abundance control deviation within 1%, reaching internationally advanced quality levels.

This large-scale delivery of enriched boric acid demonstrates China's established industrial capability in this field, characterized by stable supply, reliable quality, and reasonable costs, strongly safeguarding the supply chain security for China's nuclear power development in the area of key nuclear materials.