Ukraine plans to increase uranium production in 2020
inter-Ministerial Commission for public investment projects of economic development of Ukraine agreed for 2020 financing of the state investment project "Novokonstantinovskaya mine. Development of production capacities" in the amount of 140 million.
the aim of the project is to reduce the dependence of domestic nuclear energy from foreign suppliers of uranium products, as well as improving the efficiency of production of the main products Demurenko mining and processing plant (DGSC).
Today, imports of uranium ore is 60% of the country's needs.
the Objective of the project is the construction of the plant with a capacity of 700 tons of uranium oxide concentrate per year. Resource base of the project is the new Konstantinovsky Deposit of uranium ores, which is the largest uranium Deposit in Europe, uranium reserves amount to more than 93,000 tons.
the Deposit is located in Maloviskovsky district of the Kirovohrad region. Today, the field is processed Novokonstantinovskaya mine of GP "VostGOK", method of mining underground. For project realization the company has all necessary permits.
As reported, "VostGOK" started experimental-industrial production of uranium ore on the new Konstantinovsky field, the proven reserves of about 100 million tons in recalculation on a concentrate of uranium, in June 2011.
"VostGOK" back in 2011 submitted a draft feasibility study of industrial development of Novokonstantinovka a total cost of 6.5 billion hryvnias with access to the field's design capacity for the extraction of 2.5 million tonnes of uranium within five years.
the Ministry is considering the involvement of the private partner to uranium mining as one of the ways of improvement of state-owned enterprises and improve its effectiveness. At meetings in the Department, which was devoted to "Washoku" on Monday and Tuesday, it was also announced a decision to abandon the connection "VostGOK" to "Energoatom".
background:
"VostGOK" is among the ten largest uranium producers (2% of world production) and is the only company in Ukraine which provides the extraction of uranium ore and production of concentrate of natural uranium. The company provides up to 40% in uranium demand Ukrainian nuclear power plants. "VostGOK" today is an industrial site in the Dnipropetrovsk and Kirovohrad regions, three uranium mines, three plants, about 20 divisions. All this makes it possible to provide a full cycle of works from extraction and processing of uranium ore.