(Kitco News) - Kazakhstan's Kazatomprom (LSE: KAP), the world's largest uranium producer, today reported that the first batch of fresh nuclear fuel i.e., AFA 3G ?? fuel assemblies (FA) has been delivered from Ulba-FA LLP plant to China.
In its statement, the company said that railway platforms with 34 shipping containers containing fuel assemblies to the volume of one reload (a little over 30 tons of low-enriched uranium) escorted by special-purpose security have been delivered to NPP in China and accepted by end customer, i.e. Chinese General Nuclear Power Corporation CGNPC-URC.
Kazatomprom noted that Ulba Metallurgical Plant JSC is one of the globally acknowledged manufacturers of uranium, beryllium, tantalum and niobium products for nuclear power energy, electronics, metallurgy industry purposes and other activity fields. The company is a part of Kazatomprom.
Ulba-FA LLP is a Kazakhstani and Chinese joint venture; the founders are UMP JSC (a subsidiary of NAC Kazatomprom JSC) holding 51% of participatory interest and CGNPC-URC (a subsidiary of China General Nuclear Power Corporation) holding 49% of participatory interest.
According to the press release, Ulba-FA LLP started operating in November 2021 after passing qualification from the owner of AFA 3G FA manufacture technology, the French company Framatome and getting acknowledged as a qualified nuclear fuel supplier by product end customer i.e., the Chinese General Nuclear Power Corporation CGNPC-URC.
The company said that this is the only production in the Republic of Kazakhstan manufacturing nuclear fuel for nuclear power plants and that has got guaranteed sales market for 20 years ahead, adding that plant's capacity is 200 tons per year if calculated in terms of low-enriched uranium.
"The project is a good example of successful multi-party cooperation among the leading global companies in atomic industry. Uranium material mined in Kazakhstan and processed in Ulba Metallurgical Plant is used in FA manufacture," Kazatomprom stated. "Start of the NAC Kazatomprom JSC innovative production allowed Kazakhstan entering the limited range of the countries-manufacturers and suppliers of nuclear fuel for nuclear power plants opening new opportunities of Kazakhstan atomic industry development and cooperation prospects with other countries in this direction."
Kazatomprom is the world's largest producer of uranium, with the company's attributable production representing approximately 24% of global primary uranium production in 2021.
The company benefits from the largest reserve base in the industry and operates - through its subsidiaries, JVs and Associates - 26 deposits, located in Kazakhstan, grouped into 14 mining assets. All of the company's mining operations are located in Kazakhstan and extract uranium using in-situ recovery technology.
Kazatomprom has the status as Kazakhstan's national operator for the export and import of uranium and its compounds, nuclear power plant fuel, special equipment and technologies.
|
| Mosaic announces temporary curtailment at its Colonsay potash mine in Saskatchewan |
