Orano in Mongolia
Orano Mining has been present in Mongolia for over 25 years. The company has been successful with its exploration activities, discovering and registering important uranium resources. Orano’s subsidiary in Mongolia has obtained three mining licenses and successfully operated two pilot tests.
In January 2025, Orano and the Government of Mongolia signed an Investment Agreement to develop and operate the Zuuvch Ovoo mining project, situated in Mongolia's southeastern Dornogovi province.
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In Mongolia, Orano has been carrying out exploration in the Gobi Desert since 1997. As a result of its exploration work, Orano’s subsidiary discovered the Dulaan Uul deposit in 2002 and the world-class Zuuvch Ovoo deposit in 2010, significantly increasing Mongolia’s overall uranium resources and putting it 12th in the world in terms of countries with the most uranium reserves.
From 2021 to 2022, Badrakh Energy co-entreprise between Orano and state public company MonAtom conducted an on-site pilot test for uranium extraction from the Zuuvch Ovoo deposit by the ISR (in-situ recovery) that confirmed technical, economical and environmental feasibility of the project.
- 2500 tU - nominal annual production capacity of the Zuuvch Ovoo mine mine
- 30 years of production
- 1 600 direct and indirect jobs created
Historical mining project
With a 30-year estimated lifespan, the Zuuvch Ovoo project represents an initial investment of around $500 million before the deposit comes on stream, and a total of $1.6 billion over the mine's lifetime, creating 1,600 direct and indirect jobs.
Development of the project is planned to take 4 years, after which the Zuuvch-Ovoo mine will go into production, with an estimated nominal capacity of around 2,500 tonnes of uranium per year.
The Franco-Mongolian project will apply international
standards and state-of-the-art techniques in terms of safety, security and the environment, setting a benchmark for the development of the uranium industry in Mongolia.
The signed investment agreement includes a mechanism to ensure that more than 51% of the direct benefits generated by the project will be received by the Mongolian state. These profits are secured through taxes, dividends and royalties.
Through this agreement, Orano is making a long-term commitment alongside the stakeholder communities focusing on responsible mining, with a program of development and cooperation that will be to the benefit of local people. The project also includes significant
investment in the training of a qualified local workforce.
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