Nuclear Energy Agency says Beijing has accelerated pace of domestic mining
China has discovered a substantial uranium deposit in the Jingchuan area of the Ordos Basin near the border with Mongolia in the northwestern region of the country, according to the China Geological Survey, quoted by state media.
The China Geological Survey, part of the Ministry of Natural Resources, said discovery will significantly increase the country’s uranium resources and “effectively enhance the security of uranium resources in the country”.
According to a 2022 report by the Nuclear Energy Agency, China had uranium resources over 21 uranium ore fields, basins and deposits in 13 provinces or autonomous regions as of 1 January 2019. The NEA said this data had not been recently updated due to the lack of public information on recent exploration activities.
The NEA said China’s uranium demand is projected to increase rapidly in the coming decades as it operates its fleet of 56 commercial nuclear power plants and builds new units. Beijing has 29 commercial reactors under construction, significantly more than any other country.
China has accelerated the pace of domestic uranium mining to ensure uranium supply, the NEA said. Several existing uranium production centres, such as Fuzhou and Yining, have expanded their capacity to achieve both stable and increased production.
In December, Kazakhstan’s state-controlled nuclear resources company said Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom would be selling its stakes in several jointly developed uranium deposits to Chinese-owned companies.
Kazatomprom is the world’s largest producer of uranium and has the largest reserve base. It accounted for approximately 20% of global primary uranium production in 2023.
