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Kazakh companies will tool up to provide components of nuclear fuel destined for 11 nuclear power reactors in Japan under a new agreement.

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The Ulba complex currently includes facilities to produce nuclear fuel pellets for Russian-design RBMK and VVER units and so must expand its capabilities in order to produce fuel for Kansai's units, which are all of Mitsubishi design.ÌýUnder existing alliances a facility to make full fuel assemblies is due to be completed in 2011-2012, with Toshiba-Westinghouse acting as technical partner, whileÌýUlba could also expand to carry out conversion of Kazakh-mined uranium for the enrichment stage that comes before pellet fabrication.

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Early in 2006 KazAtomProm signed a $100 million joint venture agreement with Sumitomo (25%) and Kansai (10%) to develop a uranium deposit at West Mynkuduk in Kazakhstan. First production from the project is expected in 2008 with design capacity of 1000 tonnes of uranium per year by 2010. As a trading house, Sumitomo's interest is to supply uranium from the mine to Japanese power utilities.

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In August 2006 then Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev issued a joint statement calling for the "successful materialization of significant projects in the area of exploration, development and production of uranium resources." This was followed in May 2007 by a high-level Japanese delegation which signed 24 agreements on energy cooperation with Kazakh companies.

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One particular multinational project involves the exploitation of two uranium deposits at Kharasan to yield 5000 tonnes of uranium per year around 2014.

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Together, Japanese companies Marubeni, Toyko Electric Power Co (Tepco), Chubu Electric Power Co, Tohuko Electric Power Co, Kyushu Electric Power Co and Toshiba own a 40% stake of the Kharasan holding company giving them 2000 tonnes of uranium per year between them.

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Kharasan is expected to continue operating until about 2050, by which time it could potentially produce over 160,000 toones of uranium.

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