ASTANA – Kazatomprom national atomic company has received a certificate of state registration for a new enterprise Taiqonyr Qyshqyl Zauyty to build a sulfuric acid plant in the Sozak district of the Turkistan Region, the company’s press service announced on April 24.
Photo credit: Kazatomprom. Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times.
Located near mines, the plant will allow Kazatomprom to have an additional reliable and long-term source of acid supplies, and to optimize delivery routes, minimize cost increases, and reduce the cost of uranium products.
The enterprise is expected to produce 800,000 tonnes of sulfuric acid per year, generating 25-30 megawatt-hours of electricity from heat utilization, most of which will be sold to Kazatomprom’s subsidiaries in the energy-deficient region.
“A feasibility study of the project is currently under completion, while selecting a potential investor is underway. The final cost of the project will be determined after approval of the design and estimate documentation. The construction of the sulfuric acid plant is planned to begin in 2024, with the start of production and achievement of full design capacity slated for 2026,” reads the press statement.
From a strategic standpoint, the project is crucial for both Kazatomprom and the Turkistan Region. The plant for producing sulfuric acid, the principal reagent used in its in-situ leach uranium operations, will significantly contribute to the region’s social and economic development, attract additional investment, and provide tax revenue for the local budget.
The project will generate 800 new construction jobs and roughly 500 new operational jobs.
Kazatomprom is the world’s largest uranium producer, with natural uranium production in proportion to the company’s participatory interest of about 22 percent of the total global primary uranium production in 2022.
The group has the largest uranium reserve base in the industry. Kazatomprom, with subsidiaries, affiliates, and joint organizations, is developing 26 deposits combined into 14 uranium mining enterprises.
