Ordos uranium project seen boosting energy security

The construction of China's largest natural uranium production project in Ordos, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, will further increase nuclear fuel supply while ensuring national energy security, said industry experts.

Developed by China National Nuclear Corp, the Ordos uranium project started construction recently. It is set to become a natural uranium production base with the highest standards, featuring green, economical, intelligent and efficient operations, according to the China Atomic Energy Authority.

Natural uranium is the material foundation for the development of China's nuclear industry and an important strategic resource and energy mineral for ensuring national security, the CAEA said.

Once completed, the project will further enhance China's capacity for natural uranium supply and improve the independent innovation capability of the natural uranium industry as well as its international competitiveness, it said.

Zhao Xiangbin, chief strategist at Beijing Gold and Forex Fortune Investment Management, said the project is strategic and will ensure sufficient supply of uranium and strengthen energy security.

By boosting domestic uranium production, China aims to reduce dependency on foreign sources while mitigating geopolitical risks, Zhao said.

The Ordos project will further support the expansion of the country's nuclear power sector while contributing to its long-term energy independence and sustainability, he said.

In the past few years, China has been developing its nuclear power industry actively, safely and in an orderly way, which will create market demand for the natural uranium industry.

As a result, uranium exploration and development efficiency in China has significantly increased. The country's natural uranium industry has also come up with a complete industry chain in more than 60 years, covering geological exploration, mining, refining and processing. It has also established a natural uranium supply system that combines domestic development, overseas growth, international trade and strategic reserves.

According to the CAEA, the project will adopt an advanced mining process that employs carbon dioxide and oxygen leaching. Unlike traditional underground mining methods, the process can extract uranium through a closed-loop circulation of the uranium solution without lifting the ore to the surface for processing.

Through this approach, natural uranium production can achieve zero emissions of water, gas and solid wastes, promoting sustainable operations with low carbon emissions.

The project will integrate advanced technologies like automation, remote and centralized control and big data analysis to realize intelligent operation analysis and precision mining.

The advanced and sustainable technologies will not only help boost its uranium production capacity but also set a benchmark for environmentally responsible mining practices, it said.

Nuclear power generation on the Chinese mainland reached 440,000 gigawatt-hours last year, accounting for nearly 5 percent of the total national electricity output.