Rosatom´s TVEL starts regular supplies of low-enriched uranium to Kazakhstan for fuel fabrication

Moscow, November 17 - Neftegaz.RU. The Uranium Enrichment Center (UEC) has carried out the 1^st supply of enriched uranium product to Kazakhstan for the Ulba Fuel Assembly Plant, a joint Kazakh-Chinese enterprise in Ust-Kamenogorsk, established for fabrication of nuclear fuel for NPPs in China.

Commercial supplies of low-enriched uranium, produced by the Russian Urals Electrochemical Combine, for the Ulba Fuel Assembly Plant will be carried out from Russia’s Novouralsk to Ust-Kamenogorsk in Kazakhstan on a permanent basis, in accordance with the contract between UEC and Kazatomprom.

Oleg Grigoriev, Senior VP for Commerce & International Business at TVEL, commented:

• The Uranium Enrichment Center project proves its efficiency in the current market conditions, which enables further development of Russian-Kazakh cooperation in nuclear fuel cycle

Kazakhstan has been an important source of uranium for more than 50 years.
The country has 12% of the world's uranium resources and in 2020 produced about 19,500 tonnes.

Kazakhstanis have been discussing the construction of a nuclear power plant since 1997.
In September this year, President Tokayev has set a goal of Kazakhstan reaching net-zero emissions by 2060, suggesting replacing coal and gas as the main sources of energy in the country with nuclear and hydroelectric energy.

Central Asia currently does not have any operational nuclear power plants, though Uzbekistan has signalled its intent to build 2 VVER-1200 pressurised water reactors.