Discovery of Sizable Uranium Reserves Boosts China's Nuclear Power Aspirations
China Accelerates Uranium Production Expansion for Nuclear Power Growth
China is ramping up its uranium production efforts, marking a significant shift towards environmentally friendly and technologically advanced practices. This transition is crucial to support the country's ambitious plans for expanding its nuclear power fleet and enhancing energy security.
In a major breakthrough, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) recently announced the successful production of the first barrel of uranium from its "National No 1 Uranium" project in the Ordos Basin, Inner Mongolia. This project, which began construction in July 2024, is the largest natural uranium production base in China by capacity.
The project employs advanced in-situ recovery, also known as in-situ leaching, a method that extracts uranium through a closed-loop system underground without bringing ores to the surface. This approach avoids the generation of traditional mining wastes and reduces carbon emissions, making it a greener and safer approach to uranium mining.
Historically, China's uranium mines were concentrated on volcanic and granite deposits in the south. However, over the last two decades, the focus has shifted to sandstone-hosted uranium deposits in northern basins, especially the Ordos Basin, which is now the country's largest uranium resource base.
The domestic uranium production expansion via projects like the National No 1 Uranium project is intended to secure a stable domestic supply to support rapid fleet expansion and national energy security goals. The technologies demonstrated in the Ordos Basin project—automation, digitalization, and ISL—are planned for rapid scaling to other northern basins to bolster domestic uranium output further.
According to the China Nuclear Energy Association, installed capacity is expected to reach 200 gigawatts by 2040, more than doubling the current US nuclear fleet and making China the undisputed global leader in atomic energy. The International Atomic Energy Agency estimates that China's nuclear fleet could require over 40,000 metric tons of uranium annually by 2040.
China has adopted a "three-thirds" approach for uranium sourcing: one-third domestic, one-third from overseas joint ventures or equity stakes, and one-third purchased on the open market. However, the article does not provide new information about China's strategy to reduce its reliance on imported nuclear fuel.
The discovery of the new uranium deposit in the Tarim Basin, reported earlier this year, was made through a combination of deep drilling and predictive geological modeling. Unfortunately, the article does not provide any new information about the depth or location of this deposit.
In conclusion, China's uranium production is entering a new phase characterized by significant expansion and modernization, particularly driven by breakthroughs in sandstone-hosted uranium deposits in northern basins such as the Ordos Basin. This development aligns closely with China's ambitious plans to expand its nuclear power fleet and enhance energy security. The large-scale deployment of ISL technology and smart mining methods positions China to substantially increase domestic uranium output in the near future.
The transition in China's uranium mining sector includes a shift towards environmental-science approaches, such as the in-situ recovery method used in the National No 1 Uranium project, which reduces carbon emissions and waste generation. The successful implementation of the ISL technology in the Ordos Basin, a large uranium resource base, is expected to drive growth in the space-and-astronomy sector, as China's ambitious plans for nuclear power growth rely heavily on domestic uranium production. Simultaneously, advancements in technology, like automation and digitalization, are being employed in the mining process to boost China's uranium output and financial stability by ensuring a stable supply of uranium for its expanding nuclear power fleet.
