South Tortkuduk uranium project fully operational

Friday, 4 July 2025

Those attending a ceremony to inaugurate the new uranium processing plant, completing the USD190 million three-year South Tortkuduk project, included Orano's Xavier Saint Martin Tillet, Kazatomprom's Meirzhan Yussupov, Nuralkhan Kusherov, governor of the Turkestan region and Pascal Bastien, Katco director general (all pictured above).

Katco, a joint venture of Orano Mining (51%) and NAC Kazatomprom (49%), produces uranium by in-situ recovery (also known as in-situ leaching) technology at the Muyunkum deposit located in Turkestan region of Kazakhstan, about 300 kilometres north of Shymkent. The South Tortkuduk uranium parcel, with estimated uranium reserves of 46,000 tU, is located between the Tortkuduk and Muyunkum mine sites which Katco has been operating for more than 20 years and which have together produced over 40,000 tU since production began. Like those mines, the new project will use in-situ recovery methods.

Production from South Tortkuduk is intended to gradually replace the currently exploited territories. Katco’s return to the full production level of 4,000 tonnes per year is expected in 2026.

Xavier Saint Martin Tillet, senior executive vice president of the Orano Mining Business Unit, said the project's completion underlined the joint venture's position as one of the largest in-situ recovery (ISR) uranium mining operations in the world "producing 7% of the world’s uranium, indispensable for powering nuclear electricity production and fighting climate change".

He added: "This project showcases the successful partnership between Orano and Kazatomprom, with its development supported by the technical and environmental initiatives outlined in the cooperation memorandum signed between our two companies in November 2022."

Kazatomprom CEO Meirzhan Yussupov said: "The launch of the processing plant at the South Tortkuduk site marks a significant milestone not only for Katco, but also for the entire nuclear industry of Kazakhstan. This milestone bolsters Kazatomprom's position as a world leader in uranium mining and confirms our country's growing role in ensuring global energy security and the transition to a carbon-free future. I would like to especially highlight the professionalism of Kazakh specialists directly involved in the construction of this plant and congratulate our French colleagues on the successful implementation of the project. This is the result of a long-term strategic partnership between Kazatomprom and Orano, built on mutual trust, knowledge sharing, and shared commitment to safety and environmental responsibility."

Depending on the type of mineralisation and the geological setting, uranium can be mined by open pit or underground mining methods, or by dissolving and recovering it via wells. This method is what is known as in-situ recovery, and is now the most widely used method: Kazakhstan produces more uranium than any other country, and all by in-situ methods. Read more: A guide: Uranium and the nuclear fuel cycle