ASTANA, Kazakhstan, September 6. Kazakhstan plans to increase processing capacity of Stepnogorsk Mining and Chemical Combine (SMCC), Trend reports.
This was stated during the visit of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Olzhas Bektenov, to SMCC.
Thus, thanks to the modernization, the plant’s processing capacity will be increased to 6,000 tons of uranium per year.
From 2026, it is planned to reach full loading with uranium-containing raw materials supplied from the Budenovskoye deposit. This will provide new jobs and stable employment for residents of the single-industry town.
The Stepnogorsk Mining and Chemical Combine, which processes uranium, ensures stable supplies for the global nuclear energy industry and makes a significant contribution to the economic development of the region.
Last year, the plant produced 1,650 tons of finished uranium products. The design capacity is 4,000 tons of natural uranium per year, processing up to 1 million tons of copper-molybdenum ore.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan ranks second in the world in terms of proven reserves of natural uranium. About 14 percent of all proven world reserves are concentrated in the depths of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The country's total proven reserves are estimated at more than 700,000 tons of uranium.
In 2009, Kazakhstan took first place in uranium production in the world and continues to maintain a leading position in the world market. Kazakhstan produces about 40 percent of the world's uranium production. In 2021, the volume of uranium production amounted to 21,800 tons, according to the results of 2022 - 21,300 tons.