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Kazakhstan to increase uranium ore mining to 25,000 tons per year

The uranium production will be increased taking into account the prevailing market conditions

ASTANA, August 16 (Itar-Tass) - Kazakhstan plans in the period from 2013 to 2015 to increase uranium ore mining from 17,000 to 25,000 tons per year, the country’s Ministry of Industry and New Technologies reported on Friday.

The report says that “according to the global ranting, Kazakhstan has always been on the leading positions in this sphere” and currently “has taken the second place in terms of proven uranium reserves.”

According to the ministry, in 2009 the republic was the world’s leading uranium producer. “In the period from 2010 to the present time Kazakhstan has been producing more than 17 tons of uranium ore per year, accounting for about 33 percent of the total world production. In 2013-2015, it is planned to increase this volume to 25 thousand tons of uranium per year,” the report says.

The uranium production will be increased “in accordance with the decisions of the republic’s government, as well as with taking into account the prevailing market conditions, the needs of the global nuclear power industry and the existing subsoil use contracts,” the ministry said.