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UST-KAMENOGORSK, Kazakhstan (TCA) — The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on December 10 said it has received the second and final shipment of low-enriched uranium (LEU) at a purpose-built facility in Kazakhstan housing the IAEA LEU Bank, which was established to provide assurance to countries about the supply of nuclear fuel. The delivery completes the planned stock of the material that the IAEA LEU Bank will hold, following the first shipment in October. Continue reading
NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it took delivery of a shipment of low enriched uranium (LEU) at a purpose-built facility in Kazakhstan on October 17, officially establishing the IAEA LEU Bank aimed at providing assurance to countries about the availability of nuclear fuel. Continue reading
TASHKENT (TCA) — Major nuclear fuel cycle company Orano has signed a partnership agreement with the Uzbek State, represented by the State Committee for Geology and Mineral Resources (GoscomGeology) to develop mining exploration and operations activities in Uzbekistan, the French company said on September 4. The two partners have decided to create a joint venture which will be established in few months, with 51% held by Orano and 49% held by GoscomGeology. This agreement formalizes the desire of both parties to work together on uranium mining projects in Uzbekistan, in particular in the Navoi region in a desert area at the heart of the uranium-rich province of Kyzylkum. The two partners plan to conduct borehole drilling works in the area to improve the classification of resources already identified by GoscomGeology and discover new uranium resources. The first works in the field are planned to commence in the first half of 2020. "We are happy with and proud of this agreement which is part of the geographical diversification of the group's mining activities and consolidates its presence in Central Asia,” said Nicolas Maes, Senior Executive Vice President of Orano's Mining Business Unit. “It helps to strengthen relations within the framework of cooperation between France and Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan has extensive experience in the mining of uranium deposits by ISR, and combined with Orano's experience, this gives this project the solid foundations expected to move into new territories and develop innovative solutions capable of improving our productivity and thus meet our customers' expectations." Bobir Islamov, Chairman of the State Committee of Uzbekistan on Geology and Mineral Resources said: "Uzbekistan is rich in mineral resources and has a developed mining industry. The country mines major deposits such as the Muruntau gold deposit, the Kalmakyr porphyry copper deposit, and the Uchkuduk uranium mines in the province of Kyzylkum. The partnership agreement we are signing with Orano is about consolidating our efforts and carrying out mutually beneficial projects in order to diversify our uranium industry and create new production capacities by combining the expertise and experience of both parties. We believe cooperating with a reliable partner such as Orano, which has vast expertise and experience as well as a stable place in the global uranium market, will contribute to the success of the projects carried out by the JV we are creating. The agreement signed today is a symbolic event and will, without doubt, contribute to the development of a good relationship and friendship between France and Uzbekistan."
NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — Kazakhstan’s National Atomic Company Kazatomprom on August 20 announced its intention to continue to flex down production by 20% through 2021, compared to the planned levels under Subsoil Use Contracts. The company will now begin working with joint venture partners to assess the impact and implement the plan across all of Kazakhstan’s uranium mines. Continue reading
BISHKEK (TCA) — On May 7, the Kyrgyz Parliament held public hearings on the draft law banning the development of uranium deposits in Kyrgyzstan for 50 years. The discussion was attended by the parliament members, local community activists, journalists and residents of the regions where uranium mining is possible. Continue reading
BISHKEK (TCA) — The stage has been set for the start of remedial work at two uranium legacy sites in Kyrgyzstan, part of a wider plan to deal with the harmful legacy of Soviet-era uranium mining and processing in Central Asia, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said on April 29. Work is now expected to begin this year, initially at the Shekaftar site, following a grant agreement signed between the Kyrgyz authorities and the EBRD. A grant is provided by the Environmental Remediation Account for Central Asia (ERA), a fund initiated by the European Commission and managed by the EBRD. The agreement was signed on behalf of the EBRD by its Director for Nuclear Safety, Balthasar Lindauer, and the Kyrgyz Minister for Emergency Situations, Nurbolot Mirzahmedov. It allows for the start of a tender process for the selection of a contractor for the work at the Min-Kush and Shekaftar sites. These two sites have been identified as top priorities because of the environmental risks they pose. After meetings in Bishkek with the Kyrgyz authorities on April 29, Mr Lindauer said: “We are grateful to the Kyrgyz government for the strong partnership we have established. Today we have taken important decisions to start work and reduce the risks to the people of the Kyrgyz Republic from these old mining sites.” The ERA was set up in 2015 to rehabilitate high-priority sites in the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Framework Agreements have been signed with all three countries. Central Asia served as an important source of uranium in the former Soviet Union. Uranium was mined for over 50 years and uranium ore was also imported from other countries for processing. A large amount of radioactively-contaminated material was placed in mining waste dumps and tailing sites. Most of the mines were closed by 1995 but very little remediation was done before or after the closure of the mining and milling operations. The EBRD is the only international financial institution engaged in nuclear safety and decommissioning programs and has been active in the field since 1993. ERA is the latest fund managed by the EBRD and it is supported by contributions from the European Commission, Belgium, Switzerland, Norway and Lithuania.
