Kazakhstan weighs uranium supplies to Bulgaria

Kazatomprom, the world’s largest uranium producer, is exploring the possibility of supplying uranium to Bulgaria’s nuclear power plant (NPP) and is already in talks with the Bulgarian side, according to Nurlan Zhakupov, CEO of Kazakhstan’s Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund, which controls the uranium company.

Zhakupov noted that Bulgaria’s NPP operates two reactor units, offering opportunities for potential cooperation in uranium supply.

Bulgaria is not the only European country Kazatomprom wants to establish or expand cooperation with. In early May, the company held talks with Romania’s SN Nuclearelectrica S.A. regarding an expansion of natural uranium supplies under a 10-year contract — a deal expected to strengthen the long-term partnership between the two countries.

Earlier, in February, Kazatomprom had secured a contract to supply natural uranium concentrates to Switzerland’s Beznau and Leibstadt nuclear power plants. At the time, the company described the deal as a milestone in its cooperation with European nuclear operators.

The Czech Republic, which signed a contract last week with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) to construct two new nuclear power units, also agreed to procure uranium from Kazatomprom in April.

In other recent developments, Kazakhstan and Rwanda discussed the possibility of the African country supplying beryllium to Kazatomprom in late May.