Kazakhstan, the world’s largest uranium producer, is in the spotlight as Russia and China increase their stakes in the Central Asian country’s uranium production. According to the World Nuclear Association, Kazakhstan’s production of uranium has surged from 28 percent of the world’s total in 2009 to 43 percent in 2022.
China, in particular, has shown significant interest in Kazakhstan’s vast uranium reserves as it rapidly expands its nuclear capacity for both energy and military purposes. The country plans to double its nuclear capacity by 2035 and has acquired rights to 60 percent of future Kazakh uranium production.
Meanwhile, Russia, the third-largest U.S. source of uranium imports, has also increased its stake in Kazakh uranium production, controlling over 22 percent of yearly production and a quarter of Kazakhstan’s uranium deposits.
The United States, which heavily relies on Russian processing capacity for Kazakh uranium, announced a ban on Russian uranium imports for fuel in an effort to increase domestic production of nuclear fuel. However, Washington’s dependence on Russian processing remains a challenge.
Reports have surfaced of corruption and covert deals within Kazakhstan’s mining industry involving Russian and Chinese entities. One company, Aurora Minerals Group, has been accused of running a mining operation without a license and making millions of dollars in uranium sales. The company has denied these allegations.
The situation in Kazakhstan raises concerns about global energy security and highlights the complex web of relationships between major players in the uranium industry. As China and Russia deepen their involvement in Kazakhstan’s uranium production, the landscape of nuclear energy production continues to shift.
