Recently, a piece of news was released by China Nuclear Energy Group, stating that the country's largest natural uranium project, "Guoyou No. 1," has successfully produced the first barrel of uranium. However, don't misunderstand, this is just the first barrel of uranium from this project. Of course, we had uranium before, but China is not a region rich in uranium. Moreover, the method used to extract uranium this time is very advanced, which will be discussed later. Therefore, this uranium mine "freedom" is still very important. After all, once uranium is sufficiently refined, and the quantity increases, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers can accelerate, and the winds in the east become stronger, allowing us to speak more firmly to the United States.
On July 12th, CCTV reported that our "Guoyou No. 1" produced the first barrel of uranium, achieving a major breakthrough. Why say breakthrough? It's because compared to manual mining and traditional methods, the earliest uranium mine in China, the 711 Mine in 1963, used backfilling mining, mechanical excavation, and heap leaching technology. The 711 Mine ceased operation in 1994. In order to obtain stable uranium, we also invested in several uranium mines in Africa and Central Asia, such as owning the Zarechnoye Uranium Mine in Kazakhstan. After all, it's better to buy than to pollute ourselves.
Of course, for well-known reasons, now is the time to act. The United States has over 3,000 nuclear warheads. We need to match them in quality, and the number should not be too far behind either. There are also demands for nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, etc. Relying solely on external supply of uranium, is the quantity enough? Is there a risk of supply interruption? We have to consider these things. Therefore, we must achieve uranium "freedom" ourselves. Now you understand the significance hidden here, right?
Then talk about "Guoyou No. 1." The name itself is bold. According to the report, this time they did not use the traditional method of mining, but instead injected carbon dioxide and oxygen into the underground ore layer, letting them react with the uranium ore. Then, the resulting solution is extracted to the surface and sent directly to the water smelting plant to extract uranium and recycle it. Simply put, the mine doesn't come to the surface; the underground is a huge sealed container. It emphasizes environmental protection, safety, and low cost, while also consuming 30,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year.
Believe that after the production of "Guoyou No. 1" increases, the domestic demand for uranium can be well met. Are those wind turbines in the vast deserts also filled up? Can the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, 004, be accelerated? More importantly, can the development of advanced nuclear power systems be accelerated? For example, the United States hasn't managed to maintain large naval vessels' nuclear power. If we can develop a more reliable, safer, and simpler-to-recycle nuclear power system, perhaps the 057 nuclear-powered large destroyer is not an issue.
At that time, 13,000 tons would not be enough, 20,000 tons at the minimum, heading towards 30,000 tons. What kind of weapons ship is not worth considering? At that time, whether it's high-speed anti-ship missiles against aircraft carriers or anti-satellite missiles in the atmosphere, all can be considered for installation. With a larger platform, the possibilities are endless.
Of course, the more critical point is that it makes us speak more firmly to the United States. The US relies on being the world's largest and most advanced nuclear arsenal, right? Looking at the recent Israel-Iran war, the essence is the issue of enriched uranium and nuclear weapons. After the US B-2 bombed Iran's nuclear facilities, Iran quickly compromised, which clearly shows that it was hit at its weakness.
Now, the US Minuteman-3 has been silent for a long time, and many missiles in the silos have declined in serviceability due to aging. If at this time our uranium refining can further improve, the pressure on the US would be considerable. That is to say, not only do we need to surpass the US in traditional weapons, but we also need to develop nuclear forces to the level suitable for our own needs. Even though we won't need a massive amount of nuclear weapons like during the US-Soviet confrontation to ensure mutual destruction, the number sufficient to prevent the US from nuclear blackmail is still necessary. As for how much exactly, go ask our uranium mines.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7526247253086831130/
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