ASTANA (TCA) — Kazakhstan has retained its leading position in the world as the largest natural uranium producer, the country’s national atomic company Kazatomprom said on January 18.
In 2015 the enterprises included in the Kazatomprom holding produced over 23,800 tons of uranium (1 percent above the plan), including uranium output of the national atomic company inclusive of participatory interest in subsidiary and associated companies, which amounted to 13,000 tons of uranium (2 percent above the plan).
Production of tantalum by the Ulba plant was 141.251 tons, niobium production was 96.944 tons, and beryllium production was 1,687 tons in 2015.
In 2014, Kazakhstan increased its uranium production by 1.5 percent, to 22,829 tons.
Last year Kazatomprom approved its development strategy until 2025, whose implementation will allow the company, and Kazakhstan, to preserve the world’s leading position as producer of natural uranium.
To achieve this goal, Kazatomprom will develop existing and build new mines, and introduce the latest technologies to improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of uranium extraction, the company said.
Kazatomprom is the national operator of Kazakhstan for the import and export of uranium, rare metals, nuclear fuel for power plants, special technologies, and dual-purpose materials. The company has more than 27,000 employees.
Strategic goals of Kazatomprom are focused on holding key positions in the world nuclear power market, maximum diversification of the company’s activity into the front end nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) through participation in foreign assets of NFC (in stages of conversion, uranium isotope separation, nuclear fuel fabrication, power plants construction), as well as diversification into the allied high technological areas with the development and use of scientific and technical potential of the company, Kazatomprom said.
