Chinese nuclear giant CNNC sets new benchmark in uranium exploration
21 Jul 2025
Fuel is growing in importance as the country seeks to secure supplies used to power reactors and weapons
A Chinese energy giant has claimed a new benchmark in exploration of uranium, a resource growing in demand and importance in the country’s quest for energy security.
State-owned China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) said on Friday that it had detected a deposit of sandstone-type industrial uranium mineralisation at a record depth of 1,820 metres (5,971 feet) underground in the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.
This type of uranium deposit is generally bigger and easier and cheaper to mine than other kinds of reserves, such as volcanic rock and granite uranium.
The discovery at the record depth reflects advances in Chinese resource exploration, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Uranium is a critical fuel for both nuclear power and nuclear weapons, but China is heavily reliant on imports.
China produced 1,700 tonnes of uranium last year and imported 13,000 tonnes, according to official data.