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Updated March 2009
Nuclear Chronology
2000-2009
This annotated chronology is based on the data sources that follow each entry. Public sources often provide conflicting information on classified military programs. In some cases we are unable to resolve these discrepancies, in others we have deliberately refrained from doing so to highlight the potential influence of false or misleading information as it appeared over time. In many cases, we are unable to independently verify claims. Hence in reviewing this chronology, readers should take into account the credibility of the sources employed here.
Inclusion in this chronology does not necessarily indicate that a particular development is of direct or indirect proliferation significance. Some entries provide international or domestic context for technological development and national policymaking. Moreover, some entries may refer to developments with positive consequences for nonproliferation.
4 February 2000
On 4 February 2000 the Kazakhstani Ministry of Energy, Trade, and Industry reported that Kazakhstan produced 1,588MT of uranium in 1999, a 16.3% increase from the previous year. Kazakhstan plans to increase further its uranium production to more than 3,000MT in 2002. This increase will be made possible through the development of several new uranium deposits in South Kazakhstan Oblast, including Akdala, Yuzhnyy Moinkum and Yuzhniy Karamurun. Kazatomprom also plans to mine fluorite ore at the Karazhal deposit in East Kazakhstan Oblast and to set up production of hydrofluoric acid, which is used for the production of uranium, tantalum, and beryllium at the Ulba Metallurgy Plant.
Sources: "Kazakhstan upped uranium production 16.3% in 1999," Interfax, 4 February 2000.
March 2000
According to KazSabton President Boris Sheinkman, Israel's Sabton plans to invest up to $100 million over five years in KazSabton, the former Tselinnyy Mining and Chemical Combine, for activities including the development of new deposits in North Kazakhstan. KazSabton produces polymetallic ores, uranium oxides, oleum, battery acid, heat, and electricity. Kazatomprom exports yellowcake produced by KazSabton. Sheinkman reported that of the 272 million tenge ($2.8 million as of 16 April 1999) in back wages Sabton had promised to pay by April 2001, 80 million ($702,000 as of 16 April 1999) had been paid as of 1 January 2000. See the 16 April 1999 entry below for information on terms of sale to Sabton.
Sources: "Israeli Company Invests in Kazakh Uranium Plant," Nuclear Engineering International, 31 March 2000; in Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, web.lexis-nexis.com.
14 March 2000
Kazakhstan's arrears to IAEA cause it to lose vote, BN-350 AID: On 14 March 2000 the Cabinet of Ministers held a meeting regarding Kazakhstan's debt to international organizations. Kazakhstan's total debt to international organizations, including the IAEA, the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization, has reached $21 million. Unpaid annual fees caused Kazakhstan to lose voting privileges at these three organizations. Kazakhstani Minister of Foreign Affairs Yerlan Idrisov said that Kazakhstan's debt has also resulted in the suspension of IAEA financial support for the BN-350 nuclear reactor decommissioning project and the project to build the South Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plant. However, the Kazakhstani government plans to partially pay off these arrears or restructure the debt.
Sources: "Kazakhstan iz-za neuplaty chlenskikh vznosov peresmatrivayet svoye uchastiye v mezhdunarodnykh organizatsiyakh," Panorama, 17 March 2000, p. 2.
15 May 2000
On 15 May 2000 Interfax reported that Kazatomprom will begin production at the new Yuzhnyy Moinkum uranium deposit in South Kazakhstan Oblast later this year. According to Kazatomprom President Mukhtar Dzhakishev, Kazatomprom also plans to start mining the Akdala and Yuzhnyy Karamurun uranium deposits in South Kazakhstan Oblast this year. South Kazakhstan Oblast is already the site of Kazatomprom's Tsentralnoye and Stepnoye mines, which contain 48% of Kazakhstan's entire uranium reserves. According to Kazatomprom, proven uranium reserves in Kazakhstan total about 900,000MT, and proven plus probable reserves total about 1.6 billion MT.
Sources: "Kazakhstan to put new uranium deposits on stream," Interfax, 15 May 2000.
15 July 2000
On 15 July 2000 Kazakhstanskaya pravda announced that Kazatomprom plans to invest $17 million in the new Yuzhnyy Moinkum uranium deposit in South Kazakhstan Oblast.
Sources: Lyubov Dobrota, "Opredelyayet uran," Kazakhstanskaya pravda online edition, www.kazpravda.kz/ e/ e07_15.html, 15 July 2000.
21 July 2000
On 21 July 2000 Joint Venture Inkai reported that it has signed a resource use agreement with the government of Kazakhstan, allowing the JV to proceed with plans to construct a $2 million test mine at the Inkay (Inkai) site. Production could begin in 2004 and could eventually reach 2.6 million pounds per year.
Sources: "Cameco/Kazatomprom to Assess Potential of Kazakhstan Uranium Project," Cameco Website, www.cameco.com/ .../ news_releases/ index.html, 21 July 2000.
According to Russian Minister of Atomic Energy Yevgeniy Adamov, the venture will initially operate on the basis of debt exchange. Russia's TVEL Joint Stock Company is in debt to Ulba Metallurgy Plant for nuclear fuel rods and Kazakhstan owes money to Kyrgyzstan for electricity. Under the three-way venture, Kazakhstani energy consumers will pay Ulba, Ulba will continue to supply nuclear fuel rods to TVEL, TVEL will pay for new border control systems in Kyrgyzstan, and Kyrgyzstan will continue to supply electricity to Kazakhstan.[2,4]
Sources:
[1] "Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan to Form Uranium Mining JV," Interfax, 31 July 2000.
[2] Vladimir Kucherenko, "Kirgiziya vstupayet v 'uranovyy proyekt' s Rossiyey," Rossiskaya gazeta, No. 242, 23 December 2000; in Universal Database of Russian Newspapers, news.eastview.com.
[3] "Kyrgyzstan, Russia Close to Creating Uranium JV," Interfax, 13 April 2001. [4] Natalya Pereverten, "Moskva vozvrashchayetsya v Tsentralnuyu Aziyu," Nezavisimaya gazeta online edition, www.ng.ru/ printed/ cis/ .../ 5_returning.html, 11 April 2001.
28 July 2000
In July 2000, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Russia agreed to form a three-way venture, in which uranium concentrate from the Zarechnoye deposit in Kazakhstan's Zhambyl Oblast is to be processed at the Kara-Balta Ore Mining Combine of Kyrgyzstan for use in Russian nuclear power plants.[1] The venture will include Kara-Balta, Kazakhstan's Kazatomprom, Russia's Atomredmetzoloto, and possibly Tajikistani facilities in the future.[1,2] Under the proposed agreement, Kara-Balta will obtain a concession to the Zarechnoye uranium deposit, where uranium will be extracted using the in-situ leaching process. The uranium slurry will be processed into U3O8 at Kara-Balta. The venture plans to begin production by the end of 2001 and expects initial output of 500 to 700 metric tons (t) per year, increasing eventually to 1,600t to 1,700t, according to Kyrgyzstani Minister of Industry and Trade Arzymat Sulaimankulov.[3]
15 December 2000
On 15 December 2000 Kazakhstani Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Vladimir Shkolnik announced that Kazakhstan plans to increase uranium production by 30% each year through 2005. In 1999, Kazakhstan produced 1,588 metric tons of uranium, a 16.3% increase from 1998.
Sources: Interfax, 15 December 2000; in "Kazakhstan's Uranium Output to Rise 30 Percent in 2000," FBIS Document CEP2001215000182.
27 January 2001
According to Marat Kaftaranov, director of Uranlikvidrudnik, the Kazakhstani state enterprise charged with the reclamation of inactive uranium mines, the Vostochnyy open pit-mine in Southern Kazakhstan will be reclaimed during the period 2002 - 2004. Elevated radiation levels in the surrounding Zhambyl Oblast have caused concern among residents, who complain about health problems. Although a 1997-1998 environmental survey revealed gamma radiation of up to 500 microroentgens per hour (far above normal) at the closed Vostochnyy mine, Kaftaranov insists that radiation levels are too low to affect public health. An earlier 1992 plan to seal the mine failed due to a lack of funds.
Sources: Express-K, 27 January 2001; in "Concern Over Radiation Threat Posed by Abandoned Kazakhs Uranium Mines," FBIS Document CEP20010212000236.
18 June 2001
In a speech to the Kazakhstani parliament on 18 June 2001, Kazatomprom President Mukhtar Dzhakishev proposed an amendment to current Kazakhstani environmental legislation that would allow the import of low-level radioactive waste. The waste would be stored in abandoned uranium mines in Mangystau Oblast in western Kazakhstan and on the territory of the Semipalatinsk test site.[1,2] According to Dzhakishev, Kazakhstan needs approximately $1.1 billion to address environmental concerns related to radiation in the country. Importing radioactive waste may bring in $30-40 billion over a 25-30 year period.[1] On 29 June 2001 the parliament postponed hearings of the proposed bill until the Fall 2001 session and the authors withdrew it from consideration.[3] According to Dzhakishev the bill will be reintroduced in Fall 2001.[4] Dzhakishev also released a feasibility study concerning the construction of a nuclear waste reprocessing plant in Aktau, at an estimated cost of $150-200 million.[5] At a press conference on 16 August 2001, Kazakhstani scientists voiced their support for the idea of storing foreign spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste in Kazakhstan. Opinion polls conducted in August showed increased public support for the measure in comparison to previous polls, with one third of the country's citizens unopposed to the import of nuclear waste from abroad and 10% undecided.[6] On 28 August 2001, Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev said that he "does not rule out" the possibility of burying low- and medium-level radioactive waste in Kazakhstan, and that he supports Kazatomprom's initiative.[2] As of 13 September 2001, the Kazakhstani parliament was still considering the issue.[7]
Sources:
[1] "Kazakhstanu dlya ozdorovleniya radioekologicheskoy situatsii trebuyetsya okolo milliarda dollarov," Interfax-Novosti, 18 June 2001.
[2] "Nazarbayev dopuskayet vozmozhnost zakhoroneniya radioaktivnykh otkhodov," Interfax-Novosti, 28 August 2001.
[3] "Vopros o zakhoronenii yadernykh otkhodov drugikh stran snyat s povestki dnya parlamenta Kazakhstana," Vremya Po, No. 564, 4 July 2001; in Integrum Techno, www.integrum.ru.
[4] "Kazakhstan ne nameren khranit vysokoaktivnyye radiatsionnyye otkhody," Interfax-Novosti, 25 July 2001.
[5] "V Kazakhstane razrabotano TEO proyekta stroitelstva kombinata po pererabotke radioaktivnykh otkhodov," Interfax-Novosti, 25 July 2001.
[6] Sergey Samokhvalov, "'Nedelimyy' Atom," Trud, 1 September 2001, p. 7; in WPS Materials Control and Accounting.
[7] Natalya Absalyamova, "Bezopasnost prevyshe reglamenta," Kazakhstanskaya pravda, 13 September 2001; in Universal Database of Russian Newspapers, www.eastview.com.
21 June 2001
On 21 June 2001 the Kazakhstani Senate unanimously ratified the Memorandum of Understanding Relating to the Treaty Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems of 26 May 1972.[1,2] This Memorandum establishes successors to the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM Treaty), which was originally concluded between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Memorandum was signed in New York on 26 September 1997 by the US Secretary of State and Foreign Ministers of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. After ratification by the Kazakhstani Senate, the Memorandum was sent for signature to Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev.[1] Once all the other signatories ratify the 1997 Memorandum, Kazakhstan will become a party to the ABM Treaty and will then be able to legalize military installations that were a part of the Soviet ABM system located in Kazakhstan, including the Saryshagan test site and Balkhash radar station.[2] Kazakhstan will also have the right to formally participate in negotiations on the future of the ABM Treaty.[3] Earlier, on 21 May 2001, Nazarbayev criticized US national missile defense plans in an interview with the New York Times.[4]
Sources:
[1] "Senat Kazakhstana odobril prisoyedineniye respubliki k memorandumu po PRO," Interfax-Novosti, 21 June 2001.
[2] "Kazakhstan prisoyedinilsya k sovetsko-amerikanskomu dogovoru po PRO," Caspian News Agency, 25 June 2001.
[3] "Kazakhstan nameren na ravnykh uchastvovat v debatakh po PRO," Reuters; in UNIAN, No. 024 (164), 11-17 June 2001.
[4] "Prezident Kazakhstana vystupil protiv razvertyvaniya Vashingtonom sistemy PRO," Interfax-Novosti, 21 May 2001.
29 November 2001
On 28 November 2001, the parliament of Kazakhstan ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), signed by Kazakhstan in 1996. Under the Treaty, Kazakhstan will work with participating states to establish an organization that will work on the CTBT's provisions, monitor implementation, and provide a forum for cooperation and consultations.[1,2]
Sources:
[1] "Na puti k bezyadernomu miru," Kazakhstanskaya pravda online edition, www.kazpravda.kz, 29 November 2001.
[2] "Parlament RK ratifitsiroval dogovor o vseobemlyushchem zapreshchenii yadernykh ispytaniy," Gazeta.kz online edition, www.gazeta.kz, 29 November 2001.
14 December 2001
On 14 December 2001 Interfax reported that Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev had signed a law ratifying the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).[2] To effectively implement the Treaty, the government of Kazakhstan and the preparatory commission for the CTBT organization on 18 November 1997 signed an agreement to create a system of seismic stations in Kazakhstan to monitor nuclear activities in the region. Construction of the main station in Makanchi and auxiliary stations in Aktobe, Borovo, and Kurchatov is almost complete. About $6 million has been spent on Kazakhstani facilities and an additional $1.6 million is earmarked for the Semipalatinsk test site and operating expenses for the seismic monitoring stations.[1,2]
Sources:
[1] Khabar News Weekly Review online edition, www.khabar.kz, 9 December 2001.
[2] "Kazakhstan prisoyedinilsya k Dogovoru o vseobemlyushchem zapreshchenii yadernykh ispytaniy," Interfax, 14 December 2001.
14 February 2002
On 14 February 2002, US Ambassador to Kazakhstan Larry C. Napper announced that the US will allocate $6 million to support further elimination of silo-based missile launchers in Kazakhstan under a 1993 US-Kazakhstani treaty on eliminating ICBM launch silos. According to Kazakhstani Chief of General Staff Malik Saparov, six silos remain intact at the Leninsk test site in the Kzyl-Orda region.[1,2]
Sources: [1] "Six ICBM Silos Remain in Kazakhstan," Interfax, 21 February 2002. [2] "Chronicle. Kazakhstan to eliminate silo missile launchers with the money of the US," Nezavisimaya gazeta, 15 February 2002, p. 5; in EastView Online Database of Russian Publications, news.mosinfo.ru/ news/ 02/ DSE/ 02/ data/ 019-35.htm.
May 2002
At the 2002 plenary meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group in Prague, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan was welcomed as the newest participating government in the NSG.
3 July 2002
Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a bill extending the US-Kazakhstani framework agreement that allows Cooperative Threat Reduction activities to continue in the country.[1] The five-year extension had earlier been ratified by both houses of Kazakhstan's parliament.[2,3] Under the agreement, materials and services necessary for implementation of CTR activities in Kazakhstan will not be subject to restrictions, tariffs, customs duties, and taxes. The original agreement, signed in December 1993, expired in December 2000. CTR activities continued in 2001 through temporary extensions of the framework agreement. Since 1 January 2002, however, CTR work in Kazakhstan has been at a standstill because the country's new criminal code requires that all such agreements be extended by parliamentary ratification only. In the ensuing debate over ratification, some parliamentarians expressed concern that the framework agreement might allow the 41 Kazakhstani firms serving as subcontractors to avoid paying taxes on non-CTR-related transactions. Kazakhstani Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Vladimir Shkolnik allayed these fears and noted that an interagency group will oversee each transaction to ensure that taxes and duties are waived for CTR-related transactions only.[4] Some parliamentarians also expressed concern that CTR activities are destroying infrastructure that could be successfully repurposed for civilian use.[3] Ongoing CTR activities in Kazakhstan include the destruction of six remaining ballistic missile silos, dismantlement of former biological weapons facilities in Stepnogorsk, conversion of infrastructure at the Semipalatinsk test site, dismantlement of some equipment at the Pavlodar chemical plant, and burial of spent fuel.[3,5]
Sources:
[1] Interfax-Kazakhstan, 3 June 2002; in "Kazakhstani president ratifies agreement on destruction of missile silos," FBIS Document CEP20020606000200.
[2] "Kazakhstani parliament approves extension of ICBM silo destruction agreement," Interfax, 16 May 2002.
[3] Khabar Television, 16 May 2002; in "Kazakhstani Senate extends nonproliferation deal with the US to five years," FBIS Document CEP20020516000222.
[4] Natalya Buyenko, "Eto vam ne avtomat Kalashnikova: Deputaty nizhney palaty parlamenta Kazakhstana dali 'dobro' na ratifikatsiyu soglasheniya, debaty vokrug kotorogo ne utikhali v techeniye poslednikh neskolkikh mesyatsev," Novosti nedeli, 10-16 May 2002, No. 14 (80), p. 7.
[5] "V tselyakh konversii," Kazakhstanskaya pravda online edition, www.kazpravda.kz/ nr.html#nr1, 15 May 2002.
25 July 2002
According to Natalya Zhdanova, executive director of the Kazakhstani Nuclear Society, over the next two years the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will finance four scientific projects in Kazakhstan, worth a total of $1 million.[1] These projects include radiopharmaceutical production, creation of a Kazakhstani Center for Nuclear Medicine, and training specialists in radiochemistry in cooperation with the Kazakh Al-Farabi State University. The IAEA is also considering the possibility of setting up a center for nondestructive monitoring in the country.[2]
Sources:
[1] "IAEA Launches New Scientific Projects in Kazakhstan," Interfax, 25 July 2002.
[2] Interfax, 25 July 2002; in "International atomic agency to fund Kazakhstan projects worth $1 million," FBIS Document CEP20020726000020.
25 February 2003
At a 25 February 2003 government meeting, Kazakhstani Prime Minister Imangali Tasmagambetov reported that it may take the country 15-20 years to dispose of radioactive waste currently on Kazakhstani territory. Tasmagambetov noted that this process will start in 2004 with the preparation of a feasibility study of radioactive waste disposal measures. The report will also consider the possibility of importing low- and medium-level waste. Tasmagambetov instructed ministries and other governmental organizations to decide which uranium mining facilities should be given priority and to submit applications for funding from the 2004 budget. According to Kazakhstani Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Vladimir Shkolnik, the necessary funds to clear Kazakhstan's territory of all radioactive waste will total $1.15 billion.
Sources: "Premer Kazakhstana - za byudzhetnoye finansirovaniye programmy utilizatsii yadernykh otkhodov," Interfax, 25 February 2003.
20 March 2003
According to a March 2003 Interfax report, Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev has endorsed the Additional Protocol to the Safeguards Agreement between the IAEA and Kazakhstan.[1] Once it signs the Additional Protocol, Kazakhstan will be required to expand the amount and type of information it provides to the IAEA. For example, it will be required to disclose activities of the state-owned nuclear company Kazatomprom such as the location, status, and estimated annual production of uranium and thorium mines.[1,2] The IAEA will also be able to inspect any facilities in Kazakhstan related to the nuclear fuel cycle.[2]
Sources:
[1]Interfax-Kazakhstan, 20 March 2003, in BBC Monitoring International Reports; in "Kazakhstan to Make Its Nuclear Activities Open Under Atomic Agency Accord," Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, web.lexis-nexis.com.
[2] "Fact Sheets: The IAEA 1997 Additional Safeguards Protocol," Arms Control Association Website, www.armscontrol.org/ factsheets/ 93_2fact.asp, September 1999.
22 March 2003
On 22 March 2003, Kazakhstani Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Vladimir Shkolnik met with South African Deputy Minister of Minerals and Energy Susan Shabangu. The main topic of the discussion between the two officials was the promotion of bilateral cooperation in the fields of nuclear technology and uranium production. In addition, Shkolnik offered to provide South Africa with geological expertise and assistance in building small hydroelectric plants. According to Shabangu, both countries have significant experience to share with each other.
Sources: Elena Butyrina, "Kazakhstan i YuAR vyrazili zhelaniye sotrudnichat v oblasti yadernykh tekhnologiy i uranovoy promyshlennosti," Panorama, No. 12, 23 March 2003; in Integrum Techno, www.integrum.ru.
17 April 2003
The upper house of the Kazakhstani parliament approved a bill ratifying the Convention on Nuclear Safety between Kazakhstan and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) on 17 April 2003. The Convention commits countries operating land-based reactors to a high level of nuclear safety. Ratification of the agreement will allow for improved cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union on implementing higher nuclear and radiation safety levels at facilities in Kazakhstan. Cooperation includes possible technology transfers from EU nations to Kazakhstan, making it possible to instasll up-to-date safety equipment at nuclear, energy, and industrial facilities. The agreement was signed in Brussels during the first session of the Kazakhstan-EU Council on 19 July 1999, and was approved by the lower house of parliament on 26 February 2003. The bill has been submitted to President Nazarbayev for his signature.[1,2,3]
Sources:
[1] Interfax-Kazakhstan; in BBC Worldwide Monitoring, 17 April 2003; in "Kazakh Parliament Approves Ratification of Nuclear Safety Accord with EU," Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, web.lexis-nexis.com.
[2] "Kazakh Lower House Ratifies Accord On Atomic Energy Cooperation With EU," Interfax, 26 February 2003.
[3] "Na plenarnom zasedanii mazhilisa deputaty rassmotryat proyekty zakonov po voprosam strakhovaniya, ratifikatsii mezhdunarodnykh soglasheniy po yadernoy bezopasnosti," Khabar Online, www.khabar.kz, 26 February 2003.
May 2003
An article in the May 2003 issue of Science reports that Kazakhstani and US officials are about to make an $80 million deal to transfer 3 metric tons (t) of "ivory grade" plutonium, containing more than 90% Pu-239, from Aktau to Semipalatinsk. The plutonium comes from the BN-350 breeder reactor at the Mangyshlak Atomic Energy Combine (MAEK) and is contained in 300t of highly radioactive spent fuel. During the transportation procedure, which is likely to start in 2004 and continue until 2007, the spent fuel will be loaded into specially-manufactured containers and shipped by rail to the Semipalatinsk Test Site. According to Timur Zhantikin, chairman of the Kazakhstani Atomic Energy Committee, the spent fuel will be stored in underground silos at the Baykal-1 reactor complex.
Sources: Richard Stone, "Save Haven for a Breeder's Plutonium Hoard," Science, Vol.300, 23 May 2003, pg. 1224.
31 July 2003
Agents from the Kazakhstani National Security Committee (KNB) arrested two Kazakhs and one Russian for attempting to sell the radioactive isotope plutonium-239, Ekspress-K reported on 31 July 2003. The arrests were the result of a surveillance operation. The three suspects, two residents of Pavlodar, Kazakhstan and one native of Saratov Oblast in Russia, were arrested while making the transaction at a local train station in Pavlodar. The two Kazakhs were reportedly selling the plutonium to the Russian. Police seized $20,000 in cash and an ampoule which a subsequent analysis showed to contain Pu-239.[1] A KNB spokesman later said that the isotope of plutonium seized is used in smoke detectors and "in no way can be used in the production of weapons of mass destruction."[2] Charges have been filed against the three suspects.[1]
Sources:
[1] Asel Tulegenova, "Radioaktivnyy rynok," Ekspress K, 31 July 2003; in Integrum Techno, www.integrum.ru.
[2] "Spetssluzhby Kazakhstana pri popytke prodazhi izotopa plutoniya-239 zaderzhali 3 chelovek, v tom chisle grazhdanina Rossii."
9 September 2003
Kazakhstani customs agents turned back a truck carrying 20 metric tons of stainless steel found to be emitting high levels of gamma radiation, Ekspress K reported on 9 September 2003. Customs officials at the Martuk checkpoint in Aktyubinsk Oblast on the Russian border sent the Latvia-bound cargo back to its sender, Mustang-2001 LLC of Kyzylorda, after they measured its radiation level as 620 microroetgen/hr or 31 times the acceptable level.
Sources: Viktor Danilov, "Rabota na dolzhnom urovne," Ekspress K, 9 September 2003; in Integrum Techno database, www.integrum.ru.
23 September 2003
Police in Kazakhstan have arrested a resident in the northern border town of Uralsk in West Kazakhstan Oblast who was trying to sell a container with an undisclosed amount of depleted uranium. The Kazakh newspaper Ekspress K reported the arrest on 23 September 2003. Officials have not disclosed further information about the price sought for the material, its origin or how it came to be in the oblast.
Sources: "Pochem nynche uran?" Ekspress K, 23 September 2003; in Integrum Techno, afnet.integrum.ru.
6 February 2004
Kazakhstan signed an Additional Protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency to its IAEA Safeguards Agreements for the Agency's application of strengthened safeguards. Kazakhstani parliament must now ratify the Protocol.
Summer 2005
The Kazakhstani Atomic Energy Committee (KAEC) and Ministry of Health started building a nationwide inventory of radioactive sources used at the country's industrial enterprises and research institutions. The inventory sought to determine the current status of radioactive sources in the country and their operational and storage conditions, and also included a search for "orphan" or abandoned sources.[28] According to KAEC chairman Timur Zhantikin, regional authorities would fund the collection and subsequent disposal of orphan sources found during the inventory, as well as sources no longer used at industrial and research facilities.[29] [Editor's Note: As of January 2006, the KAEC had made no announcements regarding the results of the inventory of radioactive sources in Kazakhstan, which was expected to be completed by the end of 2005.]
Sources:
[1] "Kazakhstan Hosts Seminar on Search for and Security of Radioactive Sources; Inventory of Radiation Sources to Be Held in Kazakhstan," NIS Export Control Observer, (June 2005), p. 3, cns.miis.edu/ pubs/ nisexcon/ index.htm.
[2] "Inventarizatsiya radiatsionnykh istochnikov na territorii Kazakhstana budet zavershena do kontsa 2005" (An Inventory of Radioactive Sources in Kazakhstan will be Completed by the End of 2005), Kazakhstan Today News Agency, October 11, 2005; in Gazeta.kz, www.gazeta.kz.
8 October 2005
Kazakhstan announces success of HEU blend-down project: In a joint operation involving Kazatomprom and the Nuclear Threat Initiative that began in 2001, 2,900 kg of 26% enriched nuclear fuel was transferred from Aktau to Ulba to be blended down to non-weapons usable forms of uranium for use in commercial and scientific activities. The project involved several steps: Nuclear workers in Aktau loaded onto rail cars fresh HEU fuel assemblies designed, but never used, for the BN-350 reactor. The fuel assemblies were transported Ulba, where security upgrades had been installed to permit HEU storage. A blend-down line and additional security upgrades to allow HEU processing were designed, licensed, and installed at Ulba to carry out the operations. Costs of the project, approximately $2 million, were shared equally between NTI and Kazatomprom. The IAEA applied safeguards during transport, commissioning, and downblending. The facilities constructed at Ulba to blend down the BN-350 HEU fuel will remain operational and could be used in the future to eliminate other weapons-usable uranium.
Sources: "Government of Kazakhstan and NTI Mark Success of HEU Blend-down Project; Material Could Have Been Used to Make up to Two Dozen Nuclear Bombs," NTI press release, 8 October 2005.
January 2006
At a summit in Astana, Kazakhstan and Russia agreed to work out a plan by May 2006 for the integration of their nuclear industries, especially with respect to the Zarechnoye uranium mining venture and Ulba Metallurgy Plant. A press release posted on the Russian Atomic Energy Agency website described the agreement as a step towards restoring the nuclear industry that existed during Soviet times.
Sources: "Rossiya gotova pomoch razvivayushchimsya stranam osvoit atomnuyu energiyu," Rosatom website, 26 January 2006, www.minatom.ru/ News/ Main/view? id=28755& idChannel=343.
23 January 2006
(KAP) and Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation and Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. signed an agreement on the creation of a tripartite joint venture on the development of West Mynkuduk uranium deposit in Southern Kazakhstan. The agreement represents the implementation of the first part of strategic partnership program among the three companies. It is planned that the new venture, APPAK LLP, will start pilot production of uranium products in 2007 and begin full-scale commercial production in 2010. Projected annual output at full scale is 1,000 tons of uranium.
The distribution of shares in the new enterprise between Kazatomprom, Sumitomo, and Kansai is 65%, 25%, and 10%, respectively. Initial funding needed for the joint venture is estimated at $100 million.
Sources: "JSC National Atomic Company Kazatomprom, Sumitomo Corporation, and The Kansai Electric Power Co. Inc established enterprise for realization of joint projects in Republic of Kazakhstan," Kazatomprom website, 23 January 2008, www.kazatomprom.kz/ cgi-bin/ index.cgi? nc153&version=en.
June 2006
Recommendations for new nuclear power plant due by end of 2006: According to Kazakhstani National Nuclear Center Director General and Nuclear Physics Institute Director Kairat Kadyrzhanov, a working group will submit its recommendations on where to build a new nuclear power plant by year's end. The three sites under consideration are 1) in southern Kazakhstan near Lake Balkhash; 2) on the site of the shutdown BN-350 fast neutron reactor in Aktau; and 3) in eastern Kazakhstan in the city of Kurchatov. The government of Kazakhstan is expected to contribute up to 40% of funds needed for construction of the new power reactor. Kadyrzhanov indicated that the remainder is expected to come from private investors, including foreign ones.
Sources: "Kazakhstan Choosing a Site for an APP," Interfax, 20 June 2006.
8 September 2006
Representatives of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan signed the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia at a ceremony in Semipalatinsk. In addition to regular NWFZ pledges, the Treaty requires states parties to conclude and ratify IAEA Comprehensive Safeguards and Additional Protocol, implement standard of physical protection of material and equipment, and establish IAEA’s Additional Protocol as condition of supply of special fissionable material and related equipment. The five Central Asian states proceeded with signing the Treaty despite objections from Great Britain, France, and the United States over Article XII, which could potentially allow the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons on the territory of CA states parties to the Tashkent Treaty.
Sources: Scott Parrish and William Potter, "Central Asian States Establish a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone," CNS research story, 8 September 2006, cns.miis.edu/stories/060905.htm.
29 September 2006
The U.S. DOE and the Nuclear Threat Initiative reached an agreement with the government of Kazakhstan whereby HEU currently stored at the Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP) will be downblended at the Ulba Metallurgy Plant and INP's VVR-K research reactor at Alatau will be converted to use LEU, instead of HEU, fuel. The Global Threat Reduction Initiative with DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration will contribute at least $4 million for the projects, while NTI will contribute up to $1.3 million for a new reactor control and protection system and a beryllium reflector.[1] The conversion of the reactor is not expected to be complete until as late as 2011.[2]
Sources:
[1] "U.S. Department of Energy and NTI Announce Key Nonproliferation Project with Kazakhstan," DOE press release, 29 September 2006, U.S. DOE website, www.energy.gov/ news/4197.htm.
[2] Jon Fox, "Kazakhstan Signs on to Downblending Program," Global Security Newswire, 6 October 2006.
October 2006
Kazakhstan agrees to join Russian Uranium Enrichment Centers Initiative. At a 3 October 2006 press conference, Presidents Putin and Nazarbayev announced that Astana will join Moscow's initiative to create international uranium enrichment centers in Russia. According to Putin, the centers, the first of which will be built in the Russian city of Angarsk, will provide non-discriminatory access to nuclear power for other countries.[1,2]
Sources:
[1] "Russian nuclear chief speaks on Tianwan NPP construction," RIA Novosti, 2 October 2006.
[2] "Kazakhstan to join russia uranium enrichment centers initiative," RIA Novosti, 3 October 2006.
26 October 2006
Kazakhstan began construction of a long-term spent nuclear fuel storage site for its BN-350 Reactor. Construction of this facility adheres to specifications and guidelines set forth by the Kazakhstani National Nuclear Center, whose experts were involved in planning for the facility. This event is the culmination of many years of technical and economic research.
Sources: "Kazakhstan Today" www.gazeta.kz/art.asp?aid=82440 26 October 2006.
12 December 2006
Russia and Kazakhstan's nuclear partnership: Russia has built a modern uranium mining facility in southern Kazakhstan, Zarechnoye. Russia received material and technical cooperation from both Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to build the facility. Kyrgyzstan will receive a small share of the profits while the majority goes to Russia and Kazakhstan. Furthermore, Kazakhstan will let Russia use its uranium deposits in exchange for access to Russian high technologies. The partnership contract, signed on 15 June 2006, is worth $1 billion and is in effect until 2022.
Sources: The Monitor "Russia and Kazakhstan: nuclear partnership" 12 December 2006: global.lexisnexis.com/us.
14 February 2007
Mazhilis (lower chamber of Kazakhstan's parliament) member Tokhtar Aubakirov shocked his colleagues and the press by announcing that Kazakhstan still possessed a nuclear explosive device. According to Aubakirov's statement, a "nuclear device" that could still be detonated had been abandoned at Azgyr, a former nuclear test site in Western Kazakhstan, and was too large to be transported to Russia.[1] Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources both issued statements denying the presence of any nuclear warheads or nuclear devices on the territory of Kazakhstan. The Ministry of Energy statement further clarified that the device in question was Yava, a research installation for experiments in high-pressure physics. The Ministry of Energy has stated that due to its technical characteristics, the installation was not suitable for conducting nuclear explosions and did not contain any radioactive materials. During the Soviet era, the installation was used for research on deep submergence effects and the production of artificial diamonds.[2] For more information, see the CNS story of the week: "An Alleged 'Nuclear Device' in Western Kazakhstan Is a Non-nuclear Installation.".
Sources:
[1] "T. Aubakirov, deputat: 'Atomnaya bomba broshena na ulitse'" ["T. Aubakirov, MP: 'Nuclear Bomb Abandoned on the Street'"], Channel 31, 15 February 2007, www.31.kz/31channel/index. php?uin=1103077401&chapter=1171558025& day=15&month=02&year=2007.
[2] "Na ustanovke 'Yava', raspolozhennoy na territorii poligona Azgir, ne proizvodilis yadernye vzryvy -- MEMR RK" ["The Yava installation located on the territory of Azgyr test site was never used for nuclear explosions"], Gazeta.kz; in Integrum Techno, 19 February 2007, www.integrum.ru.
19 February 2007
Kazakhstan'si President Nazarbayev signed a law approving the nation's Additional Protocol to its nuclear safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency. The protocol was signed in Vienna in February 2004.
Sources: Agentstvo Voyennykh Novostey; "Kazakhstan Ratifies Additional Protocol to Agreement with IAEA," 19 February 2007, FBIS Document ID CEP20070219950079.
30 March 2007
Russia and Kazakhstan agreed to work on developing a nuclear power plant together, although no timetable or costs of building the plant have been discussed. However, the two countries are well-suited for the partnership with Russia's advanced enrichment facilities and Kazakhstan's uranium deposits.
Sources: "Russia and Kazakhstan Plan Nuke Plant," UPI, 30 March 2007; Lexis Nexis Academic Universe, global.lexisnexis.com/us.
15 July 2007
On 15 July 2007, Kazatomprom (KAP) President Mukhtar Dzhakishev announced that negotiations were underway for KAP to purchase a 10% share in Westinghouse from Toshiba, which currently holds 77% of the company. Dzhakishev did not comment on whether the deal implied construction of a Westinghouse nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, and insisted that KAP was not seeking any transfer of uranium conversion technology. He also stated that KAP is building up a "vertically integrated atomic company covering all stages of the nuclear fuel cycle."
Sources: Ann MacLachlan, "KAP seeks fuel cycle role with Westinghouse," Platts Nuclear Fuel, 16 July 2007; Lexis Nexis Academic Universe, global.lexisnexis.com.
13 August 2007
Kazatomprom and Toshiba announced signing of a share-transfer agreement for 10% of Westinghouse for US $540 million. The deal, described as a "strategic partnership," would allow Toshiba and Westinghouse to offer fuel cycle services, while Kazatomprom would, in turn, have access to fuel fabrication technology.
Sources: Daniel Horner and Ann MacLachlan, "Kazatomprom receives government approvals for Westinghouse deal," Platts Nucleonics Week, 6 September 2007; Lexis Nexis Academic Universe, global.lexisnexis.com.
5 September 2007
On 5 September 2007, Kazatomprom President Mukhtar Dzhakishev stated that the company has received the necessary government approvals in Japan and the United States to purchase a 10% stake in Westinghouse from Toshiba. US-based advocacy groups reportedly expressed concerns that the deal would allow illicit transfers of newly-acquired nuclear technologies in Kazakhstan, even though any technology transfer from the United States requires a license from the US Department of Energy. Under those regulations, Kazakhstan is one of more than 70 states which require specific authorization for nuclear exports.
Sources: Daniel Horner and Ann MacLachlan, "Kazatomprom receives government approvals for Westinghouse deal," Platts Nucleonics Week, 6 September 2007; Lexis Nexis Academic Universe, global.lexisnexis.com.
5 September 2007
On 5 September 2007, Russia's Angarsk international uranium enrichment center, of which Kazatomprom is a 10% shareholder, legally opened for business. While currently only an "empty shell" and not yet engaging in any enrichment activities, the center has been legally registered and approved. Russian authorities hope that the center should have "several participants and will be starting to produce SWUs for its members" by early 2008.
Sources: Ann MacLachlan, "Russia's Angarsk international enrichment center open for business," Platts Nuclear Fuel, 24 September 2007; Lexis Nexis Academic Universe, global.lexisnexis.com.
10 September 2007
On 10 September 2007, Kazatomprom (KAP) President Mukhtar Dzhakishev announced that the company plans to mine 18,700 metric tons (mt) of uranium by 2015 and 27,000 mt by 2025. Significantly greater than previous estimates, Dzhakishev attributed the increase to rising productivity at Kazakh mines. Moreover, he noted that KAP intends to surpass Cameco by 2010, becoming the world's leading uranium mining company. Dzhakishev noted that KAP and Cameco were negotiating a joint venture on conversion of uranium hexafluoride (UF6). In addition, KAP holds a half stake in a joint venture with Russia's Tekhsnabeksport, which will result in creation of a uranium enrichment center at Angarsk by 2011. Moreover, the two companies are also partnering in initiation of the International Uranium Enrichment Center at Angarsk, while KAP owns a 10 percent stake in the IUEC.
Sources: Ann MacLachlan, "Kazatomprom sets goals higher for U production, pursues nuclear cycle," Platts Nuclear Fuel, 10 September 2007; Lexis Nexis Academic Universe, global.lexisnexis.com.
1 October 2007
Kazatomprom closed the deal on purchasing a 10% stake in Westinghouse from Toshiba Corp.
22 October 2007
Kazatomprom (KAP) President Mukhtar Dzhakishev and Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Co (Cgnpc) General Manager He Yu signed agreements that would permit KAP to begin delivering nuclear fuel products with "high added value" to China by May 2008, based upon natural uranium production from joint Kazakh-Chinese enterprises. KAP and Cgnpc also established a joint venture to develop uranium resources in Kazakhstan, as well as discussed investment of KAP in China's nuclear power industry. The agreement prompted speculations that Russia's influence over Kazakhstan's nuclear energy decisions was waning.
Sources: Alexei Breus, "Kazatomprom will export uranium to China, beginning in May," Platts Nuclear Fuel, 22 October 2007; Lexis Nexis Academic Universe, global.lexisnexis.com.
21 November 2007
On 21 November 2007, Kazatomprom President Mukhtar Dzhakishev announced that plans were in the works to build a nuclear power station with Russian reactors near Aktau. Prime Minister Karim Masimov has reportedly given the green light for the project to move forward. Construction was set to begin by 2011, with the first unit expected to come online in 2015 and the second in 2016. [2] The reactors would be of Russian design and based upon the VBER -300 modular reactor using technology employed in constructing nuclear submarine reactors. [2]
Sources:
[1] "Premyer-ministr poruchil podgotovit postanovleniye o stroitelstve AES v Mangiustaukskoy oblasti," Kazakhstan Segodnya, 22 November 2007, www.gazeta.kz/art.asp?aid=100133.
[2] "Pervyi blok AES v Aktau budet vveden v eskpluatatsiyu v 2015 godu," Kazakhstan Segodnya, 22 November 2007, www.gazeta.kz/art.asp?aid=100141.
13 December 2007
The United States and Kazakhstan signed an agreement to extend bilateral cooperation under the Cooperative Threat Reduction, or "Nunn-Lugar," program, the U.S. Department of Defense announced 13 December. The agreement was signed by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Kazakhstan Ambassador Yerlan Idrissov. During the 14 years of CTR, among other accomplishments, the two countries completed elimination of intercontinental ballistic missile launchers, the anthrax production plant at Stepnogorsk, closed 194 nuclear weapons test tunnels at the Semipalatinsk test site. The CTR efforts in Kazakhstan are currently expanding in the biological threat area.
Sources: U.S. Department of Defense, "The United States extends strategic nonproliferation partnership with Kazakhstan," 13 December 2007; "Kazakhstan, U.S. sign accord on further implementation of Nunn-Lugar program," Interfax, 14 December 2007.
24 April 2008
The Kazakhstani parliament passed
a law that would ratify the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts
of Nuclear Terrorism [PDF].
The ratification will go into effect once the bill is signed into law by
Kazakhstan's president Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Sources: "Kazakh parliament ratifies UN nuclear terrorism convention," RIA Novosti, 24 April 2008.
14 May 2008
Kazakhstan's president Nursultan
Nazarbayev signed into a law a bill, passed by the Kazakhstani parliament in
April, that would ratify the International Convention for the Suppression of
Acts of Nuclear Terrorism [PDF],
Interfax reported on 14 May. Kazakhstan signed the convention on 14 September 2005.
Sources: "Kazakhstan ratifies international convention to suppress nuclear terrorism," Interfax, 14 May 2008.
3 June 2008
On 3 June 2008, Kazatomprom and
Canada's Cameco announced creation of Ulba
Conversion LLP, a venture which would see development of a uranium
conversion facility at the Ulba Metallurgy Plant. Establishment of the entity,
in which Kazatomprom holds a 51 percent share and Cameco holds 49 percent,
follows a 2007 memorandum of understanding and pending feasibility studies on
the 12,000 tonne uranium hexafluoride conversion plant, for which Cameco agreed
to provide technology. The partners reportedly also plan to double production at
the Inkai uranium deposit.
Sources: "Cameco and Kazatomprom establish Ulba Conversion," FreshFuel, 6 June 2008; "NAK Kazatomprom i kanadskaya korporatsiya Cameco uchredili novoye SP – TOO Ulba Conversiya," Kazinform, 11 Jun 2008.
6 June 2008
On 6 June 2008, Kazakhstan's Special
Forces conducted a training exercise at the Institute
of Nuclear Physics in Alatau. The exercise, dubbed "Atom-Antiterror-2008,"
took place in the framework of the Global
Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, on the even of the Initiative's
fourth meeting set to take place on 16-18 June in Madrid, Spain. The exercise
scenario centered on intrusion of 12 individuals upon the Institute's territory.
The individuals attempted to get to the Institute's reactor, but, upon
encountering heavy resistance from the Institute's guards, settled for taking
hostages from the Institute staff. The Special Forces made the decision to storm
the building, arresting the intruders, rescuing the hostages, and alleviating
danger to the reactor.
Sources: Askar Djaldinov, "Yadernyy terrorism ne proydet," Liter, 12 June 2008; www.liter.kz; "V Almatinskoy oblasti provedeno operativno-takticheskoye ucheniye 'Atom-Antiterror-2008,'" Kazakhstan-Segodnya, 6 June 2008, www.gazeta.kz.
11 June 2008
Kazatomprom (KAP) President Mukhtar
Dzhakishev and AREVA CEO Anne Lauvergeon signed a partnership agreement in
Paris, France. Under the terms of the agreement, Kazatomprom and AREVA are
forming a joint venture, KATCO, for the production of 4,000 tons of uranium a
year until 2039. Kazatomprom holds a 51% stake in the new enterprise, while
AREVA's share is 49%. The sales of uranium will be conducted by
AREVA. AREVA is also expected to provide engineering assistance in the
construction of fuel fabrication lines at the Ulba Metallurgy Plant, with an
annual capacity of 1,200 tons. According to Kazatomprom's press release, a
400-ton line will be dedicated to the production of fuel assemblies for
French-designed reactors, while the other, 800-ton, line will produce assemblies
for reactors of other designs. The plant is expected to be constructed in
2009-2012; the total cost of the project is $170 million. The sale of assemblies
will be carried out through another jointly owned company, where AREVA will hold
the majority 51% stake.
Sources:
[1] "AREVA and KAZATOMPROM sign a strategic
agreement in the front end of the nuclear cycle," Kazatomprom website, 11
June 2008, www.kazatomprom.kz/ cgi-bin/ index.cgi? nc225& version=en.
[2] Kazatomprom website, 22 July 2008, www.kazatomprom.kz/ cgi-bin/ index.cgi? nc227& version=en.
2 July 2008
The Kazakhstan Customs Control
Committee and the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security
Administration (NNSA) reached an important milestone in their cooperation under
the Second
Line of Defense program, NNSA announced 2 July. The joint efforts saw
installation and start-up of radiation detection equipment at eight new sites on
the Kazakhstani border – seven border crossings and one training facility
– intended to prevent illicit
trafficking of nuclear materials.
Sources: NNSA, "NNSA Achieves Major Milestone In Project to Thwart Nuclear Smuggling in Kazakhstan," 2 July 2008, nnsa.energy.gov/ print/ 2065.htm.
22 July 2008
Kazatomprom (KAP) reported, in a
press release, that it had finalized the creation of a "transnational
vertically integrated company with a complete nuclear fuel cycle." The
press release reminded that while uranium mining and conversion, along with
production of fuel assemblies, will be conducted in Kazakhstan, uranium
enrichment will take place on Russian territory, at the International Uranium
Enrichment Center in Angarsk.
Sources: Kazatomprom website, 22 July 2008, www.kazatomprom.kz/ cgi-bin/ index.cgi? nc227& version=en.
4 November 2008
During the Chinese delegation's visit to Kazakhstan, the
foreign ministers of the two countries signed two cooperation agreements in the
nuclear sphere. The agreement between Kazatomprom and China Guangdong Nuclear
Power Group (CGNPG) covers a wide range of activities, including joint uranium
mining, trade in natural uranium, fuel production, construction of nuclear power
plants, and power generation. The second agreement, between Kazatomprom and
China National Nuclear Corp (CNNC) "focuses on the implementation of
long-term nuclear cooperation projects."
Sources: "China and Kazakhstan Sign Cooperation Agreements," World Nuclear News, 4 November 2008, www.world-nuclear-news.org/ ENF-China_ and_ Kazakhstan_ sign_ cooperation_ agreements- 0411084.html.
18 November 2008
Kazakhstan became a member of the Zangger Committee on 18 November 2008.
Sources: Official Website of the Zangger Committee, www.zanggercommittee.org/ Zangger/ Members/default.htm.
26 November 2008
Kazakhstan's Mazhilis (lower chamber of the
Parliament) adopted the law on the ratification of the Central Asian
Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty on 26 November. Kazakhstan's is the last
ratification required for the Treaty to enter into force.
Sources: "Kazakhstan Approves Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Bill," Interfax-Kazakhstan, 26 November 2008.
11 December 2008
Upper chamber of Kazakhstan's Parliament ratified the
Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty on 11 December 2008. Thirty days
after the deposit of the instrument of ratification with Kyrgyzstan, the Treaty
will enter into force.
Sources: "Soobscheniye dlya SMI" [Media Advisory], Press Service of the Senate of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 11 December 2008, www.parlam.kz/ NewsPrev.aspx? page=1& lan=ru-RU& idloc=1& idkom=1& uid=1821.
15 January 2009
Kazakhstan's total uranium output in 2008 was
8,521 tonnes, up 28.5% compared to 2007 but short of the previously announced
projection for 2009, Kazatomprom announced on 15 January 2009. Kazatomprom aims
to produce 11,900 tonnes of uranium in 2009 if global market conditions are
favorable and reach 18,000 tonnes a year by 2010.
Sources: "Kazakh 2008 Production Increases," FreshFuel, 16 January 2009, p. 6.
24 January 2009
Kazatomprom head Mukhtar Dzhakishev and Managing Director of
the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. Shreyans Jain signed a memorandum of
understanding on 24 January 2009. The memorandum outlines potential areas of
cooperation between the two companies, including the supply of natural uranium
and fuel elements from Kazakhstan to India, as well as personnel training.
Reportedly, Kazatomprom is also interested in conducting feasibility studies
concerning the use of Indian heavy-water reactor design for nuclear energy
projects in Kazakhstan.
Sources: "Kazakhstan i Indiya dogovorilis o rasshirenii diapazona sotrudnichestva v atomnoy oblasti" [Kazakhstan and India Agreed on Broadening Cooperation in Nuclear Sphere], Kazatomprom press release, 24 January 2009, www.kazatomprom.kz/ cgi-bin/ index.cgi? nc679& version=ru.
3 February 2009
Kazatomprom and China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group
(CGNPG) established a joint uranium mining venture, Kazatomprom President
Mukhtar Dzhakishev announced at a press conference in Almaty on 3 February 2009.
The new venture, in which Kazatomprom holds 51% and CGNPG 49% stake, will
operate two deposits with a total expected output of 1,250 tU per year. One of
the deposits – Irkol – is already in operation, with an output of
300 t in 2008, while the other – Semizbay – is scheduled to start
operating at the end of 2009. According to Dzhakishev, the investment in
starting up the Semizbay field is 15.5 billion tenge, of which 7 billion has
already been appropriated and the rest will be used by the end of 2009.
Sources: "Kazatomprom Forms Uranium JV with CGNPG, Could Start Shipments to India," Interfax, 3 February 2009.
23 February 2009
Kazakhstan's Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources
Sauat Mynbayev announced on 23 February that the construction of new nuclear
power plant in Aktau is being postponed. According Kazatomprom, Kazakhstan and
Russia must resolve issues concerning intellectual property transfer before
construction can start, and an appropriate legislative framework for resolving
such problems is missing at present.
Sources: "Nachalo stroitelstva atomnoy stantsii v Aktau otlozheno" [The Start of NPP Construction in Aktau Postponed], Kazakhstan Today, 23 February 2009, www.kt.kz/ index.php? lang=rus& uin=1133167963& chapter=1153478121.
This material is produced independently for NTI by the James Martin Center for
Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and
does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently
verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2010 by MIIS.
