Hui Zhang

March, 2012

Nuclear Modernization in China

Book Chapter

By Hui Zhang, Senior Research Associate, Project on Managing the Atom

This new, groundbreaking study by Reaching Critical Will explores in-depth the nuclear weapon modernization programmes in China, France, India, Israel, Pakistan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and analyzes the costs of nuclear weapons in the context of the economic crisis, austerity measures, and rising challenges in meeting human and environmental needs. 

July 1, 2001

Discussion of China's Nuclear Transparency Options

Book Chapter

By Hui Zhang, Senior Research Associate, Project on Managing the Atom

This paper will discuss how much nuclear transparency China can afford to adopt in light of the changing international security context. The work will examine China''s attitude toward nuclear transparency; the possible influence of high-resolution satellite imagery on China''s position; what sorts of nuclear transparency China could accept under international arms control and nonproliferation treaties; and what kind of on-site inspections China could accept at its specific nuclear production facility and site under an FMCT.

July 2001

Economic Aspects of Civilian Reprocessing in China

Book Chapter

By Hui Zhang, Senior Research Associate, Project on Managing the Atom

Currently, China is pursuing a long-term expansion of its nuclear power program and plans to reprocess the resulting civilian spent fuel, recycling the plutonium in MOX fuel for LWRs and in fast breeder reactors. China presently operates three civilian nuclear power reactors, but it plans to build about 20 reactors by 2020. A pilot civilian reprocessing plant has been built at Lanzhou, with a capacity 50 metric tons of spent fuel per year. This plant is ready to start operations now. A key decision now hanging in the balance is whether to proceed with expensive plans to build a larger commercial reprocessing plant, with a capacity of up to 800 tons per year, by 2020. At the same time, China started construction of an experimental fast reactor with a power of 25 MWe in May 2000, and will have to decide whether to build a 300 MWe breeder by 2015, as currently planned. This paper examines whether nuclear reprocessing makes sense for China, taking into account costs, spent fuel management, and proliferation risks. It discusses the status of China''s breeder and civilian reprocessing programs, estimates the cumulative of discharged spent fuel and storage capacity in China, and discussion of economics of reprocessing in China. It concludes that China does not urgently need to pursue civilian reprocessing in the foreseeable future. China should instead use interim storage for its spent fuels.

Nuclear Power in China
As a developing country, China''s current energy consumption per capita is only half of the world average level and one sixth of the advanced developed countries. It is estimated that the energy consumption per capita in China will need to increase about three times by 2050 to meet its economic growth and to increase living standards. China relies on coal for about 70 percent of its primary commercial energy use. China''s vast energy resources lie far from population centers and areas of high energy demand. Increasing China already large consumption of coal would place excessive strains on transportation system and the environment. To address these concerns, China is developing its nuclear power program

July 2000

Detecting Undeclared Reprocessing Activities Through Sampling Activities

Book Chapter

By Hui Zhang, Senior Research Associate, Project on Managing the Atom

August 1999

Potential Application of Commercial Observation Satellite Imagery for the Verification of Declared and Undeclared Nuclear Production Facilities

Book Chapter

By Hui Zhang, Senior Research Associate, Project on Managing the Atom

Negotiations on a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty (FMCT) will soon be underway at the Committee on Disarmament in Geneva, and will include detailed attention to how such a treaty could be verified. This paper explains how commercial observation satellites can be effective in verifying that reactors used to produce weapons plutonium in the past are kept in a shutdown status under a cutoff treaty or moratorium. The satellites considered are the new-generation satellites with fine spatial resolution images in the visible and near infrared band complemented by thermal infrared images with lower-spatial resolution but good temperature resolution. These satellites can also contribute to the detection of undeclared nuclear-reactor sites and suspicious construction activities.

DigitalGlobe and Google Earth

17-21 July 2011

"Reassessing China’s Military Inventory of Highly Enriched Uranium"

Conference Paper

By Hui Zhang, Senior Research Associate, Project on Managing the Atom

17-21 July 2011

"China’s Stockpile of Military Plutonium: A New Estimate"

Conference Paper

By Hui Zhang, Senior Research Associate, Project on Managing the Atom

July 16, 2009

"Decommissioning the North Korean Nuclear Facilities: Approaches and Costs"

Conference Paper

By Hui Zhang, Senior Research Associate, Project on Managing the Atom

Hui Zhang presented his paper "Decommissioning the North Korean Nuclear Facilities: Approaches and Costs," at the Institute for Nuclear Materials Management 50th Annual Meeting, in Tucson, Arizona, 12-16 July 2009.

Penn State RS and EC

July 16, 2009

"On China’s Commercial Reprocessing Policy"

Conference Paper

By Hui Zhang, Senior Research Associate, Project on Managing the Atom

Hui Zhang presented his paper "On China’s Commercial Reprocessing Policy," at the Institute for Nuclear Materials Management 50th Annual Meeting, in Tucson, Arizona, 12-16 July 2009.

July 2006

"Discussions of Verification of a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty"

Conference Paper

By Hui Zhang, Senior Research Associate, Project on Managing the Atom