KATCO, with its shareholders Orano and NAC Kazatomprom, has inaugurated a new processing plant at the South Tortkuduk uranium mining site in Kazakhstan, marking the commencement of full operations at the mine.
The South Tortkuduk site has been constructed with a $190m investment, and the mine will utilise in-situ recovery (ISR) technology. The project was completed in three years.
The site, holding reserves of 46,000 tonnes (t), is part of the Muyunkum uranium deposit, currently mined by the KATCO joint venture in southern Kazakhstan.
The new processing plant is expected to gradually replace the current production areas and help KATCO maintain its annual production level of 4,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) by 2026.
Orano mining business unit senior executive vice-president Xavier Saint Martin Tillet stated: “This project showcases the successful partnership between Orano and Kazatomprom, with its development supported by the technical and environmental initiatives outlined in the cooperation memorandum signed between our two companies in November 2022.
“The successful completion of the South Tortkuduk project underlines KATCO JV’s positioning as one of the largest ISR uranium mining operations in the world, producing 7% of the world’s uranium, indispensable for powering nuclear electricity production and fighting climate change.”
The South Tortkuduk site focuses on minimising environmental impact, reducing carbon emissions and improving operational performance to expedite mining processes.
Kazatomprom CEO Meirzhan Yussupov stated: “The launch of the processing plant at the South Tortkuduk site marks a significant milestone not only for KATCO, but also for the entire nuclear industry of Kazakhstan.
“This milestone bolsters Kazatomprom's position as a world leader in uranium mining and confirms our country's growing role in ensuring global energy security and the transition to a carbon-free future.”
In March 2024, Kazakhstan overturned a $54.5m arbitration award to World Wide Minerals, a Canadian mining company, over a discontinued uranium processing project.
This marks the second cancellation of an award for World Wide Minerals, prolonging a dispute that has lasted more than two decades.
