New-generation gas centrifuges for uranium enrichment came on stream at Russia’s Urals Electrochemical Plant (ECP) in Novouralsk (Sverdlovsk region) on 27 December, the press service of the factory told Tass.
"The enterprise successfully launched five sections of a technological unit equipped with ninth-generation gas centrifuges," the report said.
The factory undertook test launches of the sections on 12 and 15 December as part of a comprehensive modernisation programme. As well as installing the centrifuge equipment, upgrades were made to the power supplies, control, and emergency protection systems.
"The latest measurements have shown the high quality of ninth-generation modernised centrifuges, their reliability and stability of the separating function," the press service said.
ECP is a subsidiary of fuel company TVEL, part of state nuclear corporation Rosatom. The company manufactured the first batch of enriched uranium using gas diffusion in November 1949, introducing centrifuge technology in 1962. ECP represents 48% of Russian enrichment capacity and 20% of world capacity.
