Recent satellite images show that the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) has completed the construction of another new large centrifuge enrichment plant (CEP) at the Emeishan site. This new facility is Emeishan Project 4 (Emeishan CEP4). Like Lanzhou CEP6 and Hanzhong CEP6, Emeishan CEP4 is expected to begin operations as early as late 2026.
In 2008, CNNC initiated the large CEP projects at Plant 814 in Emeishan. Emeishan CEP1 and CEP2 began operation in 2013 and 2017, respectively. CNNC began construction of Emeishan CEP3 in early 2015, but work was suspended and had not resumed as of mid-2020 (see Figure 1). Satellite images show that construction resumed in late 2020 and was completed around November 2021. Emeishan CEP3 began operation in 2023.
Figure 1: Satellite image of the Emeishan facility, taken on 24 June 2020 (29.677314, 103.534625). Construction of Emeishan CEP3 had not yet resumed, and no construction activity is visible at the future site of Emeishan CEP4. Credit: CNES/Airbus, Google Earth.
Satellite images show that construction of the Emeishan Project 4 plant started around late 2024. Construction was apparently completed in April 2026 (see Figures 2 and 3). Based on the experience of other CNNC CEP projects, the Project 4 plant is expected to begin initial operation as early as late 2026 and to reach normal operation in 2027.
Like Emeishan CEP3, Emeishan CEP4 is believed to use second-generation centrifuges and has an estimated capacity of 1.5-2 million SWU/year. Given that the combined capacity of the other three plants at Emeishan is about 4 million SWU/year, the operation of Project 4 will bring the total capacity of the Emeishan site to about 5.5-6.0 million SWU/year.
Thus, once CEP4 begins operation, CNNC will have increased the enrichment capacity of the Emeishan plant to about 2.5 times its pre-2023 level.
Figure 2: Satellite image of the Emeishan facility, taken on 25 April 2026 (29.677314, 103.534625). Credit: Vantor.
Figure 3: Enlarged section of Figure 2 showing the layout of Emeishan CEP4. The main enrichment building and the associated cooling towers were completed in April 2026.
The table below shows the capacity of Emeishan CEPs.
In addition, Plant 814 hosts a smaller pilot CEP near Emeishan City (see Figure 4), about 3.6 miles (5.8 km) from the large Emeishan plant. This pilot facility has an estimated enrichment capacity of 0.25 million SWU per year and has been in operation since 2007.
Figure 4: Satellite image of the Emeishan pilot CEP, taken on 27 May 2026 (29.644219, 103.490325). Credit: Airbus/Google Earth.