Uranium - The Times Of Central Asia

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Uranium

IAEA Extends Central Asia Uranium Cleanup Plan Through 2030

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has released a new Strategic Master Plan extending its cooperation with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, alongside international partners, for the remediation of uranium legacy sites in Central Asia through 2030, according to World Nuclear News. Central Asia served as a key uranium source for the former Soviet Union, with mining and processing conducted over more than 50 years. In addition to local production, uranium ore was imported for processing, leaving vast amounts of radioactive waste stored in tailings and mining dumps. Most sites were shut down by 1995, but limited remediation both pre- and post-closure, has left behind long-term environmental and public health risks, including the threat of groundwater and surface water contamination in agriculturally vital areas. Since 2012, the IAEA’s Coordination Group for Uranium Legacy Sites has supported Central Asian countries with expert missions, legal and regulatory framework development, and remediation strategies. In 2017, the IAEA, the European Commission, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the CIS Economic Council, and the governments of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan adopted a Strategic Master Plan. Published in May 2018, it identified seven former uranium sites as the highest priority, with initial remediation costs estimated at €85 million. A revised plan was signed in September 2021, and the most recent version was presented in Tashkent in October 2025. It emphasizes long-term monitoring, maintenance, recordkeeping, and ongoing engagement with local communities to ensure the safe reuse of remediated land. “The new plan, an extension of our collaboration since 2017, focuses on enhancing the regulatory, technical, financial, and human resources for the long-term management of the remediated sites, according to IAEA safety standards,” said Hildegarde Vandenhove, Director of the IAEA Division of Radiation, Transport and Waste Safety. The updated plan puts the total cost of the Environmental Remediation Account programme at €113 million. This includes remediation work, project management, and contingencies. Since 2017, four of the seven high-priority sites have been fully remediated, two in Kyrgyzstan and two in Uzbekistan, while work continues at a fifth site in Kyrgyzstan. In Tajikistan, one site has been partially remediated, and another remains untouched. Lower-priority sites are also covered under the new plan, with some funding secured through bilateral agreements with Russia. Sardorbek Yakubekov, Deputy Chairman of Uzbekistan’s Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety Committee, said the programme “stands as a vivid example of how the collective efforts of the international community… can yield tangible and lasting results.” As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia last December, Tajikistan still faces tens of millions of tons of radioactive waste from Soviet-era uranium mining, highlighting both the scale of the challenge and the critical need for sustained international support.

Energy Policy

Tokayev Calls Nuclear Power a Correction of Kazakhstan’s “Historical Absurdity”

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has described Kazakhstan’s push to build nuclear power plants as a correction of a “historical absurdity”, namely, that a nation which ranks among the world’s top producers and exporters of uranium has yet to harness this resource for domestic electricity generation. In October 2024, a nationwide referendum showed broad public support for the development of nuclear energy. Following the vote, Tokayev announced plans to construct at least two nuclear power plants, with a third to follow. In June 2025, Russian state corporation Rosatom was selected to build the country’s first nuclear power plant near the village of Ulken, on the western shore of Lake Balkhash, about 400 kilometers northwest of Almaty. Contracts for the second and third plants were later signed with the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). “The construction of several nuclear power plants is, on the one hand, a correction of the historical absurdity – to be a world leader in the production of uranium and not to build any nuclear power plants, on the other, it is the prestige of Kazakhstan,” Tokayev said in an interview with Turkistan newspaper, published on the official Akorda website. According to Tokayev, reliable electricity generation is essential for Kazakhstan’s transition to a new technological model of the economy. He emphasized that the development of supercomputers, data centers, and automated industrial systems requires substantial energy resources. “This is the reality of the new global technological order,” he stated. Tokayev has consistently argued that Kazakhstan must become a digital power, framing digitalization as a matter of national survival. He believes society is mentally prepared for innovation, citing the success of fintech companies and the expansion of digital government services. “We have good starting conditions and have made progress in the digitalization of public services, fintech, and several sectors of the economy. The ecosystem supporting IT startups is functioning effectively,” the president noted. He added that for continued progress, Kazakhstan requires stable, environmentally friendly, and high-capacity energy sources, needs best met by nuclear power. Tokayev also highlighted the importance of personnel in building a nuclear energy sector. He said the development of nuclear power will contribute to the emergence of a new class of technical intelligentsia, which could ultimately influence state policy. “Qualified specialists are needed to create modern energy sources. The head of NVIDIA, the world's largest company by market capitalization, predicts that in the near future, multimillionaires will include representatives of technical professions, the so-called ‘blue-collar workers’,” Tokayev said. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan plans to train nuclear energy specialists abroad through the Bolashak state program.

G20 Summit

Trump’s G20 Invitations: Why Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Matter

On December 23, President Donald Trump said he would invite Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to attend the United States–hosted 2026 G20 summit in Miami. The meeting is planned at Trump National Doral. The announcement followed separate telephone calls with Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, which Trump described as focused on peace and expanded trade, and cooperation. The G20 is a group of major economies, with membership based mainly on large nominal GDP and global economic importance, collectively representing about 85% of global GDP. Kazakhstan is ranked roughly 50th in the world by nominal GDP, at approximately $300 billion, while Uzbekistan is ranked around 62nd, with a nominal GDP of about $137–140 billion. According to Polish radio, the president of Poland stated that his country would also be on the guest list. Poland is the world’s 21st-largest economy. The G20 is a forum, not a treaty body. Leaders’ summits include member governments and a limited number of host-selected guest countries. Invitations to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan would place their leaders physically at the table with G20 heads of state, allowing them to be seen, heard, and recognized by other leaders, without conferring membership or a formal role in shaping the summit agenda. On average, the host invites six to seven guests. One official host-country explainer notes that guest invitations allow non-members to bring their own perspectives. For them, the significance of attending is access, not membership. What Washington Wants and What Can Be Transacted The host typically uses the guest invitations to signal which countries and regions they regard as priorities. U.S. interest in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan rests on an immediate material basis. The United States is rebuilding its nuclear-fuel supply chain away from Russian-origin material. Federal law now bans imports of certain Russian uranium products, with waivers terminating no later than January 1, 2028. U.S. agencies have been explicit that supply diversification is a policy objective. In 2024, Kazakhstan-origin material accounted for 24% of uranium delivered to U.S. owners and operators, while Uzbekistan-origin material accounted for about 9%. Kazakhstan’s structural advantage is scale and reliability. It remains the world’s leading uranium producer, with 2024 output around 23,270 metric tons of uranium and the largest share of global mine production. Astana has also signaled an interest in moving beyond extraction toward higher value-added fuel-cycle activity. Uzbekistan’s advantage is growth potential and its fit with Western joint-venture structures. Its uranium sector has attracted major external entrants, including Orano’s South Djengeldi joint venture Nurlikum Mining with the state partner Navoiyuran to develop a new mine alongside an Itochu (Japan) minority stake. The second instrument is the resource-focused diplomacy under the C5+1 umbrella. The State Department frames the C5+1 as organized around economy, energy, and security, within which framework it has elevated critical minerals to a dedicated track. The United States launched a C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue in early 2024, and subsequent U.S. statements have described it as a vehicle for geological exploration, mining, processing, and investment opportunities across the region. This...

Environment

Tajikistan Struggles to Fund Cleanup of Soviet-Era Uranium Waste

Tajikistan continues to grapple with the extensive environmental legacy of the Soviet-era uranium industry. Tens of millions of tons of radioactive waste still pose serious risks to human health and the environment. Addressing this legacy will require hundreds of millions of dollars and sustained international support. Uranium mining in Tajikistan began in the 1940s in areas including Taboshar, Adrasman, and nearby settlements. After mining operations were shut down, the country was left with abandoned mines, underground tunnels, and extensive tailings ponds containing more than 55 million tons of radioactive waste across an area exceeding 170 hectares. In 2023, partial rehabilitation work was completed in Taboshar, where 7.6 million tons of waste, representing 17.5 percent of the total, were remediated. The Tajik government has agreed to continue cooperation with Russia, which is expected to allocate approximately $17 million for the reclamation of selected facilities. However, the most hazardous areas remain unaddressed. These include early-stage Taboshar tailings ponds, underground workings, and the Degmai complex. International consultants Wismut GmbH, WISUTEC GmbH, and GEOS estimate that restoring the Taboshar facilities will require approximately $9.5 million, while reclamation of the Degmai tailings pond is expected to cost about $27 million. All of these sites are included in the International Atomic Energy Agency master plan and have been designated as funding priorities. Progress remains slow, largely due to limited financial resources. Despite some external support, current funding levels fall far short of what is required. To date, only 17 percent of contaminated sites have been decontaminated. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development special environmental rehabilitation account for Central Asia has yet to become fully operational. In 2025, the government approved a national rehabilitation program covering the 2025 to 2030 period. The plan includes legislative updates, project design, implementation, and ongoing monitoring. Preliminary estimates suggest Tajikistan will need more than $110 million by 2030 to complete its remediation objectives. Given the scale of the required investment, international financing remains essential. Tajikistan is working to transform its uranium legacy into a manageable and transparent project, but without sustained international partnership, the challenge is unlikely to be resolved.

Critical Minerals

Kazakhstan Deepens Its Critical Minerals Push

Kazakhstan is pushing a new phase of geological exploration, and the early results suggest that the country’s critical minerals profile is deepening. The Ministry of Industry and Construction says the area of mapped and studied subsoil will rise from about 2.1 to 2.2 million square kilometers by 2026. Exploration work completed in 2024 across eleven sites has produced new resource forecasts in Abai, East Kazakhstan, Karaganda, and Kostanay. The distribution matters as much as the tonnages: rare earths and other strategic metals appear across multiple regions, while gold prospects stand out in Kostanay. Five deposits have been added to the national register, alongside newly booked reserves of gold, copper, manganese, and phosphorites. Kazakhstan’s mineral importance was already widely recognized; this round of findings measurably strengthens that judgment. Four Regions Drive a Wider Metal Mix The most recent round of results from the national survey program is notable for the geographic spread and metals mix. The 2024 work across eleven sites also produced new forecasts of precious, rare, and strategic metals in Abai, East Kazakhstan, Karaganda, and Kostanay, according to the Ministry of Industry and Construction. In the Abai Region, geologists have outlined forecast resources of about 3,200 tonnes of beryllium, 1,100 tonnes of yttrium, and 200 tonnes of niobium. The mix points to advanced-manufacturing relevance, not a single-commodity profile. East Kazakhstan adds a second, larger beryllium signal, with newly identified deposits estimated at roughly 20,600 tonnes of beryllium and 600 tonnes of tungsten. That pairing reinforces an emerging pattern in which the northeast and east of the country are presenting not just rare-earth potential but a broader suite of strategic inputs. The largest rare-earth figures in this announcement sit in the Karaganda Region. Early estimates there indicate roughly 935,400 tonnes of lanthanoids, alongside prospective resources of copper, yttrium, gallium, and molybdenum. This is consistent with the earlier 2025 reporting that has repeatedly placed central Kazakhstan at the center of the country’s renewed rare-earth narrative. Kostanay Region stands out on the precious metals side. Forecast gold resources there are reported at about 17,500 tonnes, with prospective copper resources also identified. The December update also marks formal follow-through: five new deposits have been added to the national register, with newly booked reserves that include 98 tonnes of gold, 36,000 tonnes of copper, 11 million tons of manganese, and more than 1.3 million tonnes of phosphorites. Taken together, these regionally distributed findings give added empirical weight to a view already present in earlier coverage: Kazakhstan’s mineral importance was established; the survey now suggests a widening and deepening strategic profile rather than a single episodic discovery. Kazakhstan Treats Geological Knowledge as Policy The December 8 update also fits a pattern visible through 2025: the state is treating geological knowledge as a policy tool. Earlier this year, the Geology Committee described plans to expand subsurface study coverage by early 2026, while late-2025 government reporting reiterated the 2.2 million square kilometer objective as a presidential instruction tied to industrial priorities. What separates the current cycle from...

Nuclear Energy

Kazakhstan to Develop Nuclear Science Cities in Almaty and Kurchatov

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has announced plans to establish two “science cities” in Almaty and Kurchatov to support the development of nuclear energy and nuclear medicine. The proposal was unveiled during a meeting of the National Council on Science and Technology. According to Tokayev, the initiative seeks to consolidate scientific, educational, and industrial infrastructure in regions slated for nuclear power plant construction. The Institute of Nuclear Physics in Almaty is expected to serve as the foundation for a new research hub featuring a multipurpose reactor. A second center will be established in Kurchatov, in the Abai region, in collaboration with the Academy of Sciences, the National Nuclear Center, and local authorities. In a 2024 national referendum, a majority of Kazakhstani voters approved the construction of a nuclear power plant. Earlier this year, the government selected Russia’s Rosatom to build the first plant in the Almaty Region. Two additional plants are expected to be developed by the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), though their locations have not yet been confirmed. Tokayev emphasized the broader applications of nuclear technology, particularly in healthcare. He called for the development of domestically produced radiopharmaceuticals and the establishment of nuclear medicine centers to enhance treatment options for cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The president also addressed the country’s shortage of nuclear specialists. To help close the gap, 20 annual scholarships under the Bolashak program will be allocated specifically for training in nuclear fields. Currently, approximately 70 percent of Bolashak scholarships are directed toward engineering and technical disciplines. Kazakhstan possesses about 40 percent of the world’s uranium reserves. Tokayev noted that developing a domestic nuclear industry would allow the country to complete the nuclear fuel cycle and reduce reliance on uranium exports. A fuel assembly plant was launched in 2021, and the commissioning of nuclear plants is expected to make nuclear energy a self-sustaining sector of the national economy. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, in March, the government established a Nuclear Energy Agency to oversee the sector’s development.