China has produced its first barrel of natural uranium from its largest domestic project, dubbed the ‘National No 1 Uranium’ demonstration project, according to an announcement by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).
Launched last year in the Ordos basin of northern Inner Mongolia, this project is located in a region known for containing the country’s most significant natural uranium reserves.
State news agency Xinhua reported that the milestone demonstrates a “green, safe, intelligent and efficient” mining approach. The breakthrough is expected to enhance China’s competitiveness in uranium production, supporting its push for greater energy security and contributing to its broader green transition goals in the nuclear power sector.
Unlocking Inner Mongolia’s sandstone uranium resources
For the first time, China is shifting its uranium production hub from the central Jiangxi province to the country’s northern regions. Historically, uranium mining centered on volcanic and granite deposits near Lean in Jiangxi, but over the past two decades, large sandstone-type uranium deposits have been discovered in northern China, particularly in Inner Mongolia.
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These deposits were once dismissed as ‘dull mines’ with no economic potential due to technical limitations. However, current advanced in situ leaching technology has made it possible to overcome these challenges, turning previously inaccessible resources into viable supplies for China’s nuclear energy needs, the South China Morning Post reported.
Yuan Xu, chairman of China National Uranium Corporation, a subsidiary of CNNC, said the project represents a new era for uranium mining in the country. He explained that it incorporates modern practices, such as rigorous environmental protection measures, remote-controlled machinery to reduce risks for workers, intelligent data analysis to guide operations, and process improvements aimed at boosting both quality and efficiency.
According to reports in the Chinese media, the project was built in record time, taking only one year from groundbreaking to completion. In 2023, China announced 10 major uranium discoveries with estimated resources of over 2.8 million tonnes, six of which are located in Inner Mongolia.
Sandstone uranium deposits become viable with new technology
Unlike the sandstone deposits in the north, uranium reserves in Jiangxi are richer but embedded in granite, requiring traditional mining and processing methods. In contrast, sandstone deposits typically contain lower and more dispersed uranium concentrations, which made extraction uneconomical with older technologies.
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Experts from the China National Uranium Corporation compared in situ leaching to an intravenous drip, explaining that a solution is injected into the underground ore bed through wells, dissolving the uranium directly, and the uranium-rich liquid is then pumped to the surface for processing.
Traditional acid or alkali leaching methods caused significant environmental damage, but this new approach uses an aqueous carbon dioxide-oxygen solution, which greatly reduces harm. Experts emphasized that the process involves no tunneling, causes no ecological damage, and produces no radioactive waste discharge.
According to the China Energy Research Society, China ranks first in the world for total nuclear power generation capacity, including units operating, under construction, or officially approved.
