Orano in Canada

1 - Extraction and processing: the world's highest grade uranium deposits

Affaires européennes : manque tout (ancres, header, infographies)The ores mined at the Cigar Lake and McArthur River sites are among the richest in uranium in the world, with average grades of 18% and 11%, respectively, more than 100 times average grades world-wide. These concentrations are so high that the sites are mined using remote-controlled equipment so that the miners do not come in direct contact with the ore. The McClean Lake plant is the only one world-wide capable of processing high-grade ore without dilution.

2 - Exploration: preparing the future

In 2017, Orano Canada Inc., carried out 10 exploration projects and took part in 6 others, in the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta. The aim: to better define known deposits and discover new ones that would make it possible to supply the McClean Lake mill for the years to come. In total, these operations amount to over 120 kilometres in drilling.

3 - Redevelopment: Cluff Lake, an exemplary conversion project

The Cluff Lake site had been mined for over 20 years and stopped producing uranium in late 2002. The last facilities were decommissioned in 2014. Redeveloped and greened (replanted with local plant species), Cluff Lake is now considered a model for modern uranium mine rehabilitation. Orano carries out environmental monitoring on the site to track its development over time.

For more information: Transformation 2019 Annual Sustainability Review