Uranium mine with potential output of 3,000 metric tons per year has been opened
– By Abby Gessner –
A uranium mine with potential output of 3,000 metric tons per year has been opened at the Northern Khorasan deposit in southwest Kazakhstan's Kyzylorda Region, the national uranium export company said Friday.
"All work on the mine is being carried out by the Kyzylkum company, whose shareholders are the Kazatomprom national company, a consortium of Japanese energy companies [Toshiba, TEPCO, Chubu Electric, Tohoku Electric, Kyushu Electric and Marubeni], and Canada's Uranium One," the company said in a statement.
"Production is focused on meeting the demands of Japan's nuclear power industry."
The mine infrastructure was developed over a period of three years, compared to the usual timeframe of up to six years for mines of this scale, the company said.
Production at the mine will total 180 tons or uranium for 2009, and will reach full capacity in 2014.
The Northern Khorasan deposit has been in operation since 1979. State-owned Kazatomprom exports uranium, rare metals, nuclear fuel, and other materials.