diff --git a/depletion/generate_endf80_chain.py b/depletion/generate_endf80_chain.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..eb60213e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/depletion/generate_endf80_chain.py
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import argparse
+from pathlib import Path
+from zipfile import ZipFile
+
+from openmc.deplete import Chain
+
+from utils import download
+
+URLS = [
+    'https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/endf-b8.0/zips/ENDF-B-VIII.0_neutrons.zip',
+    'https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/endf-b8.0/zips/ENDF-B-VIII.0_decay.zip',
+    'https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/endf-b8.0/zips/ENDF-B-VIII.0_nfy.zip'
+]
+
+
+def main(chain_path, release, endf_path=None):
+    if endf_path is not None:
+        endf_path = Path(endf_path)
+    elif all(Path(lib).is_dir() for lib in ("neutrons", "decay", "nfy")):
+        endf_path = Path(".")
+    else:
+        # Download and extract zip files
+        for url in URLS:
+            basename = download(url)
+            with ZipFile(basename, 'r') as zf:
+                print(f'Extracting {basename}...')
+                zf.extractall()
+
+        # Rename extracted directories
+        Path('ENDF-B-VIII.0_decay').rename('decay')
+        Path('ENDF-B-VIII.0_neutrons').rename('neutrons')
+        Path('ENDF-B-VIII.0_nfy').rename('nfy')
+        endf_path = Path.cwd()
+
+    decay_files = list((endf_path / "decay").glob("*endf"))
+    neutron_files = list((endf_path / "neutrons").glob("*endf"))
+    nfy_files = list((endf_path / "nfy").glob("*endf"))
+
+    # check files exist
+    for flist, ftype in [(decay_files, "decay"), (neutron_files, "neutron"),
+                         (nfy_files, "neutron fission product yield")]:
+        if not flist:
+            raise IOError(f"No {ftype} endf files found in {endf_path}")
+
+    chain = Chain.from_endf(decay_files, nfy_files, neutron_files)
+    chain.export_to_xml(chain_path)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument('--chain-path', default='chain_endfb80.xml')
+    parser.add_argument('--endf-path', type=Path, default=None)
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    main(args.chain_path, args.endf_path)