{"id":43972,"date":"2025-10-28T13:35:43","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T05:35:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jargaldefacto.com\/?p=43972"},"modified":"2025-10-29T13:55:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T05:55:26","slug":"kazakhstan-and-uranium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jargaldefacto.com\/?p=43972&lang=en","title":{"rendered":"Kazakhstan and Uranium"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Uranium has long carried an air of mystery\u2014symbolizing war, peace, and clean energy all at once. From the Manhattan Project* to today\u2019s global debates on climate-friendly power, the uranium industry has remained one of the world\u2019s most strategically important and geopolitically sensitive sectors. At the center of its modern history stands the vast steppes of Kazakhstan.

Today, global demand for uranium is steadily increasing. Nuclear energy is viewed as a reliable foundation for electricity generation and a key low-carbon solution that helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The price trend of uranium (U\u2083O\u2088, \u201cyellowcake\u201d) clearly reflects this shift: in 2023, the price reached USD 106.6 per pound<\/strong>\u2014its highest level in 16 years\u2014before easing to around USD 86.2<\/strong> by year\u2019s end. By mid-2025, it fluctuated near USD 68.0 per pound<\/strong>, while long-term contract prices climbed to USD 92.6. <\/strong>The enriched uranium market has also tightened sharply, with the price of a separative work unit (SWU) reaching USD 190<\/strong>, driven by the expansion of nuclear power and rising AI-related energy demand.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Global Uranium Industry<\/strong><\/em>

The global uranium industry originated in the 1940s, when this element was first used to produce nuclear weapons and later to generate electricity for peaceful purposes. Over time, a complete nuclear fuel cycle developed\u2014covering mining, enrichment, fuel fabrication, and waste management.

Today, uranium supplies roughly 10 percent of the world\u2019s electricity. The market is dominated by a few major players, led by Kazakhstan\u2019s Kazatomprom<\/a>, followed by Canada\u2019s Cameco<\/a>, France\u2019s Orano<\/a>, Russia\u2019s Uranium One<\/a>\/Rosatom, and China\u2019s CNNC<\/a> and CGN.

Uranium reserves are highly concentrated in a handful of countries. Australia holds about 28 percent of the world\u2019s recoverable reserves, followed by Kazakhstan, Canada, and Russia. In terms of mining, Kazakhstan has remained the global leader since 2009, accounting for 40\u201345 percent of world supply, while Canada contributes 20 percent and Namibia 11 percent. More than half of the world\u2019s uranium is now extracted using in-situ recovery (ISR), a low-cost and relatively clean technology.

Kazakhstan\u2019s Uranium Sector<\/strong><\/em>

Kazakhstan\u2019s uranium story began during the Soviet era, when large-scale exploration and mining took place. After gaining independence in 1991, the country inherited substantial reserves and infrastructure from the USSR. The introduction of ISR mining in the late 1990s laid the foundation for Kazakhstan\u2019s dominance in the global market.

Today, Kazakhstan holds 12\u201314 percent of the world\u2019s uranium reserves, ranking second after Australia. Most of its roughly 906,000 tonnes of reserves lie in sandstone formations\u2014ideal for ISR extraction, which now accounts for 90 percent of production, mainly in the Kyzylorda and Turkestan regions.

In 2024, Kazakhstan produced 23,270 tonnes of uranium, supplying over 40 percent of global output. The country has been the world\u2019s largest producer since 2009. Uranium exports are vital to its economy: in 2023, they earned USD 3.43 billion, or 4.4 percent of total exports; in 2024, uranium represented 62.7 percent of Kazakhstan\u2019s high-tech exports, reaching USD 4.6 billion.

At the heart of the sector is the state-owned Kazatomprom, established in 1997, which alone controls about 20 percent of global supply. Kazakhstan\u2019s uranium policy emphasizes diversification and balance, partnering with France\u2019s Orano (Katco), Canada\u2019s Cameco (Inkai), Japan\u2019s Kansai and Marubeni, China\u2019s CNNC and CGN, and Russia\u2019s Uranium One (Akbastau and Karatau). This diversified cooperation ensures market stability, accessibility, and geopolitical flexibility.

Kazakhstan\u2019s Nuclear Energy Sector<\/strong><\/em>

Kazakhstan aims not only to be the world\u2019s uranium warehouse but also to stregnthen its own future with nuclear energy. On October 6, 2024, a national referendum asked citizens: \u201cDo you support the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan?\u201d With 63.7 percent voter turnout, 71 percent said \u201cyes,\u201d granting approval for the country\u2019s first nuclear power plant.

In June 2025, Kazakhstan selected Russia\u2019s Rosatom to lead an international consortium to build a modern VVER\u20111200 reactor plant near Lake Balkhash, in the village of Ulken. Simultaneously, China\u2019s CNNC was chosen to head a second project\u2014meaning several nuclear power plants are likely to rise across Kazakhstan\u2019s steppe in the coming years.

The decision sparked debate. Environmental activists expressed concern over Lake Balkhash\u2019s water levels, radioactive waste, and geopolitical risks tied to cooperation with Russia. Several anti-nuclear protesters were detained before the referendum, rekindling public memories of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. Nevertheless, the government framed nuclear development as essential for energy security, low-carbon power generation, and long-term economic diversification.

As for Mongolia, its uranium sector is likely Kazakhstan\u2019s uranium sector. Mongolia has verified reserves of about 141,000 tonnes, ranking among the world\u2019s top twenty. Major deposits such as Dornod and Gurvanbulag have been studied for decades, but commercial-scale mining has yet to begin. While Kazakhstan already dominates the global market, Mongolia remains largely in an exploratory and preparatory phase, partnering with Russia, France, the Czech Republic. Yet the potential is real: Mongolia could one day join its neighbor as a global nuclear fuel supplier.

Kazakhstan\u2019s reliance on in-situ recovery (ISR) technology offers valuable lessons. The method is considered safer and less environmentally intrusive, and local communities in Kazakhstan rarely report any complaints.

Conclusion<\/strong><\/em>

Kazakhstan\u2019s uranium and nuclear journey embody the intersection of natural wealth, historical legacy, and future ambition. As the world strives for clean and secure energy, Kazakhstan holds a powerful card. The country is poised not only to remain the world\u2019s leading uranium producer but also to develop domestic nuclear energy while balancing the interests of East and West. From the quiet sands of Kyzylorda to the waters of Lake Balkhash, Kazakhstan\u2019s nuclear story has only just begun.

*The Manhattan Project was a secret program during World War II by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada to develop nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Uranium has long carried an air of mystery\u2014symbolizing war, peace, and clean energy all at once. From the Manhattan Project* to today\u2019s global debates on climate-friendly power, the uranium industry has remained one of the world\u2019s most strategically important and geopolitically sensitive sectors. At the center of its modern history stands the vast steppes of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":43959,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[191],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[267],"class_list":{"0":"post-43972","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-article-2"},"authors":[{"term_id":267,"user_id":2,"is_guest":0,"slug":"admin","display_name":"Admin","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/jargaldefacto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/logo1.png","url2x":"https:\/\/jargaldefacto.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/logo1.png"},"author_category":"","first_name":"Admin","last_name":"","user_url":"","job_title":"","description":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jargaldefacto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jargaldefacto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jargaldefacto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jargaldefacto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jargaldefacto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=43972"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/jargaldefacto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43972\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43974,"href":"https:\/\/jargaldefacto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43972\/revisions\/43974"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jargaldefacto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/43959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jargaldefacto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=43972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jargaldefacto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=43972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jargaldefacto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=43972"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jargaldefacto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fppma_author&post=43972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}