"Kazatomprom" to increase uranium extraction by 40% in 2009

ALMATY. February 3. KAZINFORM /Daniyar Sikhimbayev/ ?In accordance with preliminary data, growth of earnings of ?Kazatomprom? National Atomic Company is expected at the level of 37% in 2008 compared to 2007?, head of the company Mukhtar Dzhakishev has said today at the briefing, Kazinform reports.

Upon the results of 2008, 8 521 tons of uranium were mined, compared to 6 637 tones in 2007. The growth is up to 28.5%. ?We expect production growth by 40% in 2009. Expected volume of production is up to 11 935 tons. Everything depends on the situation in the market?, M.Dzhakishev said. The Head of the company said that the crisis doesn?t affect the nuclear energy very mach, as long as the growth of uranium consumption doesn?t depend on plans on construction of nuclear power stations. ?The growth of uranium consumption is linked with the deficit of uranium that occurred due to use of uranium from storages. The reservoirs of the uranium are finishing and it is necessary to increase the volumes of extraction. In this regard, this doesn?t affect the production plans of the company?, he said.