China has reached a new goal in the sector mining And energywith the production of first barrel of uranium from the sedimentary deposits of the Ordos basinin the Mongolia internal, as communicated by China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). These are the first results of the demonstration project “National No. 1 uraiium“, which aims to expand the production of uranium in China by extracting the metal from the reserves located in the north of the country, thus marking the beginning of the largest extractive phase of the last 70 years. The main novelty, however, concerns the extractive process that does not include excavations, but rather the extraction of the uranium through technology In-Situ Leaching.
The development of deposits uranium In China, for a long time, concentrated in the south of the country, where production took place mainly by reserves located in volcanic rocks or granitic. In the last two decades, however, huge uranium reserves have been discovered in sedimentary rocksin particular arenaries of origin fluvio-eolica, located in the north of the country, in areas such as the Ordos basinin the Mongolia internalalready known for its imposing reserves of hydrocarbons. They would represent the main reserves of uranium at national level, in a context in which, in 2023, the overall reserves of China were estimated at around 2.8 million metric tons.
The 12 July 2024the Chinese government has started the demonstration project “National No. 1 uraiium“, Whose goal is to unlock the potential of reserves in the north of the country, long considered economically not exploitable. Exactly a year later, on 12 July 2025the first barrel Of uraniummarking a historical goal not only for the mining industry and for the economic of China, officially starting the largest domestic uranium extraction project of the last 70 years, but also an important technological conquest with a global impact.
In fact, for the extraction of uranium, the mineral methods conventional which provide for the removal of the mineralized rock by the subsoil, his crushing and subsequent chemical-physical treatments to separate the metal. On the contrary, for the first time in the history of mineral extraction in China, the technology of the Lisciviation in situ (In-Situ Leaching), also known as Solution extraction.
This approach consists in leaving the mineralized rock on its natural site in subsoil and extract the uranium dissolving the minerals in which it is contained through pumping a solution lesser. In short, one solution, In this case composed of carbon dioxide (Co2) And oxygen (OR2), is injected into the mineralized rock layer via one or more wells Of pumping. The solution reacts with uranium minerals, melting them. In this way, the uranium becomes part of the solution which is then pumped on the surface through drainage holes. The process takes place in the closed circuit, without contaminations in the subsoil. It is a method of extraction and treatment it guarantees zero emissions Of wasteno impact ecological visible, since it does not require excavations or surface alterations, and involves a use sustainable carbon dioxide.
In addition to the innovative approach, the project “National No. 1 uraiium“Represents an avant -garde also from a technological and IT point of view, thanks to the use of automation, check remote and data analysis through machine learning And TO THE. These technologies allow an intelligent operation of the extractive process even thousands of kilometers away.
The success of this project opens the doors to a phase of expansion and acceleration of the development of resource uraniferous In China, laying the foundations for the construction of new mineral bases and generating a significant economic and social impact at national level. The official news was published on July 16 on the website of the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), a central state company active in the development of nuclear energy, in the construction of plants and in the technological applications of nuclear power.
