“AP1000 Nuclear Zirconium Material Manufacturing Technology” (No. 2010ZX06001-007) is a national large engineering digestion and absorption of advanced pressurized water reactor for nuclear power plant. It is the task package of TP12 technology transfer contract which covers TP12A, TP12B, TP12C and TP12D packages. TP12A (Subproject 1) is nuclear grade zirconium sponge manufacturing technology. TP12B (Subproject 2 and Subproject 5) are the nuclear grade zirconium melting and billet manufacturing technology and recycled materials processing and recycling technology. TP12C (Subproject 3) is nuclear grade zirconium strip manufacturing technology. TP12D (Subproject 4) is nuclear grade zirconium tube rod manufacturing technology.

The project aims to digest and absorb the Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear grade zirconium, one of the three generation of nuclear power technology of manufacturing technology, and master the manufacturing technology of nuclear grade zirconium sponge and zirconium materials as well as the nuclear grade zirconium sponge, ZIRLO alloy and Zr-4 alloy ingot, tube, bar, strip product, and achieve AP1000 nuclear fuel component of zirconium technical standard requirements.

Through the study of this project, a complete industrial production line and production demonstration base for ZIRLO alloy zirconium materials are established, including the production line of zirconium sponge, zirconium alloy melting line, billet preparation line, plate and strip production line, tube and bar manufacturing line, zirconium recycling production line and nuclear grade zirconium testing center. The capacity is 2000 tons nuclear grade zirconium melting per year, 600 tons scrap recycling per year, 80 tons plate and strip per year, 100 tons tube per year, 40 tons bar per year.

A complete industrial system (quality assurance system, testing system, the production and technology research and development system) had been established which can meet the three generations plant requirements for zirconium materials.

It accomplished the production of nuclear grade zirconium sponge and ZIRLO alloy in China and meet the demand of China's third generation nuclear power. And through this project, we cultivated and constructed a production and processing operations, testing, R&D, process technology and quality assurance team which will greatly support the localization and self-reliance of nuclear grade zirconium materials.