The 1st and 2nd largest uranium producers in the world strengthen their cooperation in the uranium mining industry

Claude Imauven, Orano’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan – © Orano

(PRESS RELEASE) CHÂTILLON, HAUTS-DE-SEINE, France, 5-Dec-2022 — /EuropaWire/ — Orano Mining, the second largest uranium producer in the world owned by the French state, has announced the signature of a memorandum of cooperation with Kazatomprom, the world’s largest producer and seller of natural uranium, aimed at strengthening the two companies’ cooperation within the uranium mining industry. The memorandum of cooperation has been signed during the visit to France of His Excellency the President of the Republic Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.  

Through this memorandum, Orano Mining and Kazatomprom state their intention to maintain and strengthen their cooperation in the uranium mining industry, building on their existing successful partnership. The partners’ joint-venture KATCO has just celebrated its 25th anniversary and earlier this year launched the industrial development of a new mining area set to produce 45,000 tons of uranium over the next 15 years.

Among the joint cooperation initiatives, the memorandum provides for the implementation of a joint technical R&D roadmap, investigations on the ways to address carbon emissions from operations and sets the ground for discussions on long term development of the partnership between the two companies.

Nicolas Maes, Senior Executive Vice President of Orano’s mining activities and Yerzhan Mukanov, CEO of Kazatomprom – © Orano

Claude Imauven, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Orano, commented after the meeting with the President Tokayev: “The signature of the memorandum confirms the desire of our two companies, both world references in the field of nuclear energy, to expand cooperation for the implementation of promising projects of mutual interest, and determine an action plan for further development of our partnership as part of long-term strategic relations between France and Kazakhstan”.

Nicolas Maes, Senior Executive Vice President of Orano’s mining activities, highlighted: “Over the last quarter of a century we have developed with our partner Kazatomprom a fruitful cooperation in the field of uranium mining through our mining joint venture KATCO LLP. This memorandum lays out the foundations to combine the industrial strengths of our respective companies to maintain and perpetuate our partnership and to address the technical and environmental industry challenges of the coming decades”.

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SOURCE: Orano SA