On July 8, the High-Quality Energy Development media tour visited China National Nuclear Corporation's (CNNC) National No.1 Uranium demonstration project.

Journalists and industry experts from across the country gathered to explore how the project is advancing the country's energy security, green development and technological innovation in natural uranium production.

Natural uranium is regarded as the essential fuel for nuclear power, generating electricity through nuclear fission. A stable uranium supply is critical to the reliable operation of nuclear power plants.

With its high energy density and relatively low storage and transportation costs, uranium remains a key strategic energy resource. After decades of research, CNNC subsidiary China Nuclear Uranium Co Ltd has independently developed the third-generation CO₂+O₂ in-situ leach mining of uranium technology — enabling the efficient development of uranium deposits that were once considered uneconomical.

The project integrates green development throughout its entire lifecycle. It recycles leaching solutions through a closed-loop pipeline system — achieving zero discharge of waste gas, wastewater and solid waste, while minimizing environmental impact.

The project also uses carbon dioxide as a leaching agent — an innovative approach that transforms a climate burden into a productive resource through circular utilization.

The National No.1 Uranium project integrates automation, remote centralized control and big data analytics to enable visualized resource management, intelligent operations and precise extraction.

It represents a major achievement in China's third-generation uranium mining technology — merging three decades of innovation in in-situ leaching with advanced digital technologies.