LOCATION: Glazov, Udmurtiya
Address: 7 ulitsa Belova, Glazov 427620
Telephone: (34141) 360-70
Fax: (34141) 345-07
E-mail: post@chmz.net
[ChMZ Web Site, http://www.chmz.udm.net/] {Updated 8/21/01 RA}
HOMEPAGE: http://www.chmz.net/en {Entered 8/21/01 RA; updated 1/20/2005 CC}
SUBORDINATION:
Chepetsk Mechanical Plant is a joint-stock company. In 1996 ChMZ became part of the TVEL joint stock company, which is managed by the Federal Atomic Energy Agency.[1,2]
Sources:
[1] Nuclear Business Directory-2000 (Moscow: International Business Corporation, 2000 edition), pp. 99-100.
[2] ChMZ Web Site, http://www.chmz.udm.net/. {Entered 8/21/01 RA}
STRUCTURE:
ChMZ includes facilities for mechanical engineering and uranium, calcium, zirconium, and instruments production.
[Nuclear Business Directory-2000 (Moscow: International Business Corporation, 2000 edition), p. 99-100.] {Entered 8/21/01 RA}
ACTIVITIES:
The Chepetsk Mechanical Plant was established in 1946.[4] It is one of Russia's major producers of zirconium products, natural and depleted uranium products, and metallic calcium and its compounds.[1,3] Natural uranium products at ChMZ are manufactured as ingots, uranium metal powder, uranium oxide, and uranium tetrafluoride.[3] The plant produces natural uranium metal feed for the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrate Plant (NZKhK). Since 1956 ChMZ has been the principal producer of corrosion-resistant zirconium metal and zirconium alloys used for fuel cladding tubes.[1,3] These tubes are used in the production of fuel assemblies for VVER and RBMK reactors by nuclear fuel manufacturing enterprises, mostly Machine Building Plant (MSZ).[1,2] Since 1971, ChMZ has produced special zirconium-steel welding joints for RBMK nuclear reactor fuel channels. Most ChMZ zirconium products are manufactured from zirconium alloys containing from 1% to 2.5% niobium.[3] In cooperation with the Bochvar All-Russian Scientific Research Institute for Inorganic Materials (VNIINM) ChMZ developed technology to produce cladding tubes using new E-635 alloys.[2] Calcium at ChMZ is produced in various forms of metal, powder and solutions.[2,3] Chepetsk Mechanical Plant also produces zirconium wires and sheets, which are also used in the manufacture of nuclear fuel rods and assemblies; cored wire and injection machines used in metallurgy; rare earth materials (rare earth carbonates, oxide concentrates, polishing powders); welded joints for chemical industry, and a wide range of nickel-metal hydride rechargeable batteries.[3]
Sources:
[1] Thomas B. Cochran, Robert S. Norris, Oleg A. Bukharin, Making the Russian Bomb: From Stalin to Yeltsin (Boulder: Westview Press, 1995), p. 192, 194.
[2] Nuclear Business Directory-2000 (Moscow: International Business Corporation, 2000 edition), p. 99-100.  
[3] ChMZ Web Site, http://www.chmz.udm.net/.
[4] TVEL Web Site, http://tvel.ru/ru/polisi_r.htm. {Updated 8/21/01 RA}
 
ARCHIVED ChMZ DEVELOPMENTS:

This section is no longer being updated.  For major recent developments, see the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Developments file.
 
12/3/2001: UDMURTIAN GOVERNMENT TO SELL ChMZ SHARES
On 3 December 2001, the government of Udmurtiya announced it plans to sell its shares of the Chepetsk Mechanical Plant to TVEL, Minatom's nuclear fuel concern. According to Sergey Kasikhin, the republic's property minister, TVEL intends to increase ChMZ's charter capital, which equals 4 billion rubles ($134.41 million as of 3 December 2001).[1] Currently, TVEL owns 51% of the plant's shares while ChMZ's employees own 25%. The remaining 24% belong to the government of Udmurtiya, which hopes the sale will help offset the republic's budget deficit.[2]
Sources:
[1] "Udmurtia to sell 25% uranium works to nuclear fuel co.," Interfax Mining and Minerals News, 7 December 2001.
[2] "Udmurtskaya respublika. Chepetskiy mekhanicheskiy zavod mozhet byt prodan kontsernu 'TVEL'," VolgaInform information agency, http://www.volgainform.ru/allnews/16408, 3 December 2001. {Entered 4/30/02 DA}

6/21/2001: FOUR DEAD FOLLOWING EXPLOSION AT ChMZ CAUSED BY SAFETY VIOLATIONS 
On 21 June 2001, an explosion occurred in one of the shops at the Chepetsk Mechanical Plant. As a result of the blast, one worker died on site and six were hospitalized; three persons died later in the hospital.[1,2] According to the Minatom press service, the explosion at ChMZ was caused by violations of safety rules in the shop where calcium metal is produced.[1] According to the preliminary investigation, hydrogen exploded during a chemical reaction. Representatives of the Udmurtiya government and the Minatom press service stated that no radioactive substances or chemicals were released. Further investigation is pending.[1,2]
Sources:
[1] "Russia: Blast at depleted uranium plant in Udmurtia caused safety violations," Interfax, 21 June 2001; in  FBIS Document CEP20010621000316.
[2] Yu. Sidorov, "Tragediya v Glazove: chetyre dnya spustya," Udmurtskaya pravda, 26 June 2001; in Integrum Techno: http://www.integrum.ru. {Entered 8/23/01 RA}

Last updated 24 September 2002
The development section in this file is no longer being updated. For major recent developments, see the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Developments file.

Comments or questions? Contact Elena Sokova at MIIS CNS: esokovaATmiis.edu

This material is produced independently for NTI by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2002 by MIIS.

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