Rosatom has decided to build a new hydrometallurgical plant to process uranium and uranium-molybdenum ores from the Argunskoye and Zherlovoye deposits. The facility will be located at the Priargunsky Industrial Mining and Chemical Union in Krasnokamensk, the state corporation’s press service said.
PHOTO SOURCE: Rosatom.
The plant will have two independent production lines. Each will be able to produce about 5,500 tonnes of uranium oxide concentrate per year. This substance is the main component of the raw material used to make nuclear fuel for power plants. In addition to ore from the Argunskoye and Zherlovoye deposits, the plant is expected to process concentrates from other Rosatom deposits in Russia and abroad.
The site for the plant and its supporting infrastructure has already been selected. Surveys have been conducted there and the main engineering solutions prepared. Design work has begun.
Rosatom’s Mining Division said the plant is being designed using digital technologies at every stage of the production cycle, as well as modern automated and robotic systems. A digital twin of the production facility is among the key tools under consideration. It will make it possible to model processes, allocate equipment workloads more efficiently and forecast production output. Safety and reducing risks to personnel will be priorities in the design. Robotics is expected to reduce workers’ exposure to hazardous substances and the amount of manual labor.
The project is in line with the concept of the federal Uranium of Russia geological exploration program, which is currently being developed.
The new capacity will help supply fuel for Rosatom projects in Russia and abroad, as well as meet partners’ future needs amid growing demand for nuclear power.