Kazatomprom and Slovakia reach preliminary uranium supply deal
Kazakhstan’s state-controlled uranium producer Kazatomprom plans to export uranium concentrate to Slovakia, with potential future expansion to include deliveries of uranium dioxide (UO₂), the company’s press service reported.
Kazatomprom has signed a memorandum of understanding with Slovakia’s largest electricity producer, Slovenské Elektrárne a.s. (SEAS), outlining the possibility of Kazakh uranium supplies. This marks the first official agreement signed between the companies.
«By signing this memorandum, we are taking an important step toward strengthening cooperation with our European partners. Nuclear energy plays a key role in ensuring a sustainable energy supply in Slovakia. We believe this memorandum will lay the foundation for strong and mutually beneficial relations between our companies,» said Meirzhan Yussupov, CEO of Kazatomprom.
In response, Branislav Strýček, CEO and chairman of SEAS, expressed his confidence in the prospects of long-term cooperation with the Kazakh company and emphasized the strategic importance of diversifying nuclear fuel supply sources. The Slovak company produces 70% of all electricity in the country and operates two nuclear power plants, Bohunice and Mochovce, with a total of five operable reactors.
The major importers of Kazakh nuclear fuel are China, Russia, Canada, the U.S. and France. In 2024, Kazatomprom reported approximately $3.4 billion in sales of uranium and other products, marking a 26.4% year-on-year increase.
Kazatomprom has been actively pursuing new partnerships and expanding existing ones with European companies, including Romania’s state-owned SN Nuclearelectrica S.A. The discussions, conducted in Astana in May, focused on concluding a 10-year contract for the expanded supply of natural uranium and exploring cooperation in beryllium processing.
In April, Kazatomprom secured a uranium concentrate supply agreement with Czech energy company ČEZ, a.s., to provide natural uranium for the Temelín nuclear power plant.
In February, Swiss Axpo Power AG, together with Kernkraftwerk Leibstadt AG, signed a contract for the supply of natural uranium concentrates from Kazatomprom.
