CJSC Kazatomprom, Uranium One Inc., Toshiba and a group of Japanese companies led by Tokyo Electric Power Company, Inc. (TEPCO) have opened a mine in southern Kazakhstan as the country seeks to supply around a third of Japanese uranium demand by 2014. The partners have invested $490 million in the TOO Kyzylkum joint venture, which plans to produce 3,000 metric tons of uranium from the mine in 2014.
“Japan will get at least 2,000 tons of uranium from Kazakhstan by 2014,” Kazuhiro Suzuki, executive officer of TEPCO, said. Suzuki said that Kazakhstan will export 600 tons of uranium from the Kyzzylkum venture to Japan in 2014.
According to Suzuki, Japan will import 1,400 tons of uranium from another project, Baiken-U, a venture between CJSC Kazatomprom, Toshiba. and TEPCO-led companies. Baiken-U will start production in 2010, reaching a peak of 2,000 tons in 2014.
