TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Kazakhstan has overtaken Canada as the world's biggest uranium producing nation, after output rose 63% year-on-year, State-owned miner Kazatomprom said on Wednesday.

The country achieved its 2009 production forecast of 13 500 t on December 21, and expects to have produced another 400 t by year end.

According to industry-watcher Ux Consulting, Canada is expected to produce 9 934 t of uranium this year, and Australia will produce 8 022 t, Kazatomprom said.

In 2010, Kazakhstan expects production to increase another 29%, to 18 000 t, Kazatomprom vice-president Nurlan Ryspanov said in a statement.

There are currently 21 operating uranium mines in Kazakhstan.

“As far as the nuclear industry develops and supply from secondary sources diminishes, we are expecting a shortage of natural uranium in the world since 2016,” Ryspanov said.

“Kazakhstan will be a top uranium producer in the world in the period of peak demand for uranium.”

Kazatomprom has joint ventures in Kazakhstan with several foreign miners, including Canada's Cameco, Uranium One and France's Areva.

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