Astana, 3 November. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev received Kazatomprom chairman Meirzhan Yussupov, who reported on the company’s work and on creating a state strategic uranium reserve, Akorda reported.
The company is now exploring six sites with a combined area of more than 1,000 square kilometres and plans to start exploring a new promising site, Kyzylta, of 124 square kilometres. In 2026 Kazatomprom signed new contracts to supply natural uranium to large energy companies in India and China; the company, the President was told, is diversifying markets and developing cooperation with leading players in the nuclear industry. Yussupov also spoke about the nuclear fuel cycle and plans under the 2025–2034 development strategy.
Science was reported on separately: the company is doing research to raise the efficiency of uranium production and to improve technologies for by-product extraction of rare and rare-earth metals. Under the President’s instruction, as part of the programme of building social and infrastructure facilities, Kazatomprom allocated more than 13 billion tenge in 2026 to projects in health care, education and sport. After the meeting Tokayev gave instructions on developing the resource base, expanding international cooperation and social initiatives; their content has not been disclosed.
What it means: There is concrete work behind the state uranium reserve: exploration at six sites and preparation of a seventh. What volumes will go into the reserve, and when, Akorda did not say.
Who benefits: Kazatomprom, whose work on the resource base and reserve was reported to the President, and buyers in India and China, with whom new contracts have been signed. Contract prices and delivery volumes are not stated.
Background: On the morning of 3 November the chairman of the Atomic Energy Agency, Almasadam Satkaliyev, said at a Kurultai committee meeting that by 2050 the country will reserve at least 150,000 tonnes of uranium.
