Astana, Kazakhstan, June 6
By Daniar Mukhtarov - Trend:
Kazakhstan's national nuclear company Kazatomprom realized projects worth $896.3 million between 2010 and 2013, according to the chairman of the company's board, Vladimir Shkolnik.
Shkolnik made the remarks on June 5 speaking at a meeting dedicated to the implementation of investment projects of the 'Samruk-Kazyna' group of companies.
"The acquisition of 25 percent plus one share in Ural Electrochemical Plant OJSC by the Kazakh-Russian joint venture Uranium Enrichment Center JSC has been the national company's largest investment project," he said.
Shkolnik added that the deal, which was completed in 2013, brought revenues from the enriched uranium deliveries to the consumers.
He said the commercial revenue from the deal is comparable with the incomes of Kazakh-Russian joint uranium mining ventures.
Shkolnik also said the 'Kazatomprom' project was launched in 2010. The project is for establishing the production of photoelectric modules on the basis of Kazakhstan's silicon. The project was dubbed 'KazPV'.
It includes the production and processing of high pure veiny quartz on Sarykul field, production of silicon metal and its purification in the village of Ushtobe in the Almaty region.
"The photoelectric wafers and cells are produced in Ust-Kamenogorsk (East Kazakhstan region)," Shkolnik added.
The final step is to assemble of photoelectric modules at "Astana Solar" plant in Astana.
The production of the plant was successfully certified for the global markets in 2014.
"The first solar power plant with a capacity of 0.5 MW was put into operation in the Kyzylorda region of Kazakhstan in 2013," he said. "Seven solar power plants will be built in 2014 by using Kazakh solar panels."
"One watt of capacity will cost no more than $2," he added. "The negotiations on supplying Kazakh solar modules and quartz processing products to foreign markets are underway."
Head of the company said that Kazatomprom acquired 40 percent of "Caustic" joint stock company in 2013. The project is included in the list of investment strategic projects in Kazakhstan.
It is planned to expand the production of chlorine and caustic soda at the enterprise with the support of the Kazatomprom JSC.
Kazakhstan's uranium mining and metallurgical enterprises are the potential purchasers of these products.
It is also planned to export these products to the neighboring countries in the future.
Shkolnik also stressed that the cooperation with the large Japanese Sumitomo corporation enabled implementing the project on creation of the SARECO JV to recover rare earth elements (REEs) from uranium-ore residue.
The enterprise has already begun the production and signed contracts for supplying its products to end consumers.
The creation of the corporate telecommunications network for Kazatomprom JSC became its fifth investment project.
The increasing production volumes, world leadership in the uranium mining sphere, large projects, the requirements to increase the cyber security - all this prompted the Kazatomprom JSC to create its own digital channels able to transmit any traffic (video, audio and data).
During the period from 2012 to 2013 trunk fiber optic communication lines connected fields and enterprises of nuclear company in the southern Kazakhstan.
A new network on the level of equipment and capabilities meets the most severe requirements of modern norms and standards in the field of telecommunications.
The creation of corporate "Kazatomprom" network allowed to provide the residents of the uranium producing regions with affordable and high quality communication services, high-speed Internet and IP-telephony.
NAC "Kazatomprom" JSC is the national operator of Kazakhstan for export of uranium and its compounds, rare metals, nuclear fuel for nuclear power plants, special equipment, technologies and dual-use materials.
The main activities of the company are: geological exploration, uranium extraction; production of the nuclear fuel cycle; production of construction materials; energy; science; social security and training of the staff.
Edited by C.N.