Re.: UMP JSC Ecology Project
UMP JSC starts designing a project on solid radioactive waste (SRW) disposal in the territory of the former nuclear test site in Semipalatinsk.
The project will be implemented in the frames of the signed Memorandum of Cooperation in the environment protection sphere among the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan, JSC National Atomic Company Kazatomrpom and Ulba Metallurgical Plant JSC. Project mission is to reduce technological environmental impact. The construction is scheduled to complete in 2028. The project is designed for a period of 75 years of operation. After 2028 UMP JSC will terminate to place SRW in the existing tailing pond.
A series of structures would be designed and constructed to dispose SRW in Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. Each of structures will look like an underground monolith reinforced concrete bunker with bottoms 10 meters deep from the surface. Inner space of the bunker shall be separated with tight partitions into compartments. Every bunker compartment will have a feed gate with tight reinforced concrete lid to avoid any moisture inside the compartment. A surface around the bunkers will have a coating of bitumen concrete. The structures will have a water-proof layer to avoid any underground and surface water. Radiation monitoring will be performed during loading SRW into bunker compartments. Upon loading the structure will be sealed, filled with loose soil as thick as no less than 0.6 meter and coated with bitumen concrete.
The lots collected for disposal will be delivered with specific vehicles in the sealed containers. Initial package would help to avoid any contaminants penetrating the atmosphere and the surrounding territory during SRW unloading from the containers.
The project provides for the compliance of all legal requirements and is aimed to provide for the environmental safety of the region.
• Ulba Metallurgical Plant JSC is one of the world's well-known producers of uranium, beryllium, tantalum and niobium products for the needs of nuclear power, electronic, metallurgical industry and other fields of activity. The company is incorporated into National Atomic Company «Kazatomprom».
• Kazatomprom is the world largest uranium producer with natural uranium production pro rata to the company's participation interest in the amount of around 23% of the world total primary uranium production in 2018. The Group has the largest uranium reserve base in the industry. Kazatomprom together with subsidiaries, affiliates and joint ventures is developing 26 mines combined into 13 uranium mining enterprises. Any uranium mining enterprises are located in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan and use in-situ leaching technology with focus on the best practices and monitoring of health, industrial safety and the environment.
Securities of Kazatomprom are listed at the London Stock Exchange and the Stock Exchange of the Astana International Financial Center. Kazatomprom is the national atomic company of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the key customers of the Group are operators of nuclear generating capacities, and the principal export markets of products are China, South and East Asia, North America and Europe. The Group sells uranium and uranium products under long-term and short-term contracts, as well as in the spot market directly from its corporate center in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, and also through its affiliated trading company Trading House KazakAtom (THK) in Switzerland. Please, find more details at www.kazatomprom.kz
Press Office UMP JSC
