On 12 July 2024, the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) inaugurated the National Uranium No. 1 Demonstration Project in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, according to the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA). The project will be the country’s largest producer of natural uranium, setting a new benchmark for construction excellence and embodying an innovative, environmentally friendly, cost-effective, intelligent, and highly efficient approach to uranium production.

Once completed, the project is expected to significantly enhance China’s natural uranium security, catalyze innovation in the sector, and elevate its international competitiveness.

The National Uranium No. 1 Demonstration Project is the culmination of more than three decades of China's pioneering spirit in in-situ leach uranium mining. It is a model for green and digital mining practices. The project uses an advanced CO₂+O₂ leach mining process that undermines the conventional underground mining paradigm by eliminating the need to bring the ore to the surface for processing, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing environmental impact. 

The leaching solution for uranium mining operates in a closed-loop system, and the hydrometallurgical production workshop operates in a silent, automated manner, creating a new method of uranium mining and milling that features zero waste emission, no ecological damage, and sustainable carbon reduction.

(Source: China National Nuclear Corporation)