The Kazatomprom National Atomic Company has approved a new development strategy for 2015-2025, which provides for the preservation of the leading positions of the company and Kazakhstan on the extraction of natural uranium, RIA Novosti news agency reported with reference to the Kazatomprom.
"Implementation of the strategy will make it possible for Kazatomprom and Kazakhstan to preserve the achieved leading positions on production of natural uranium in the world," said the message.
In order to do that, the company will develop existing mines and build the new ones, as well as introduce advanced technologies in order to improve the efficiency and reduce the prime cost of uranium extraction, according to the message.
"One of the strategic directions of Kazatomprom is the business diversification in all subsequent stages of front-end nuclear fuel cycle," said the message. "The company plans to gain access to services for the conversion, enrichment and fabrication of nuclear fuel for nuclear power plants."
Kazakhstan has been a world leader in uranium production since 2009. Over the past 10 years, the country has increased its volume by almost six times, while the nearest competitors, Canada and Australia, observed stagnation of production or its slightly decrease. In 2014, Kazakhstan increased its uranium production by 1.5 percent - up to 22,829 metric tons of uranium.
Kazatomprom JSC is the national operator of Kazakhstan for the export of uranium and uranium compounds, rare metals, nuclear fuel for nuclear power plants, special equipment, technologies and materials with dual purposes.
Its main activities are geological exploration, the extraction of uranium, the manufacturing of products involved in the nuclear fuel cycle and construction materials as well as power industry, science, social security and personnel training.