Kazakhstan to supply Czech CEZ with uranium concentrates for next 7 years

Astana, Apr 15 (EFE).- Kazatomprom, Kazakhstan’s national nuclear operator, is to supply uranium concentrates to the Czech CEZ group for the next seven years, following an agreement signed in Prague.

“The supply of Kazakh natural uranium concentrates in the next seven years can cover approximately one-third of uranium needs for Westinghouse-manufactured fuel assemblies for the Temelín nuclear power plant,” the Kazatomprom said in a statement released Tuesday.

The CEZ Group, the Kazakh company said, is one of Central Europe’s leading energy companies and an essential player in nuclear power generation. It operates six nuclear reactors (at the Dukovany and Temelín plants), supplying approximately 36% of the Czech Republic's electricity needs.

“With this new agreement, Kazatomprom continues to grow its footprint in the European market and advance its strategy of diversifying its sales portfolio,” the Kazakh company's Chief Commercial Officer, Vladislav Baiguzhin, said.

He added that the agreement with CEZ is an important milestone that reaffirms the operator’s mission to be “a partner of choice for the global nuclear power industry.”

“Securing a partnership with Kazatomprom diversifies our portfolio of suppliers and has strategic importance for ČEZ and the Czech Republic,” Bohdan Zronek, member of the board and head of CEZ's Nuclear Energy Division, was quoted in the press release.

He added that the agreement with Kazatomprom guarantees that Czech nuclear power plants will continue to have a stable and reliable fuel source.

This, Zronek stressed, is “essential for meeting our energy needs and driving our decarbonization plan (VIZE 2030) to achieve net-zero goals.”

Kazakhstan is the world's largest uranium producer with a volume of 22,227 metric tons, according to statistics from 2024. EFE

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