ORANO HOLDS OPENING CEREMONY FOR MONGOLIA’S ZUUVCH-OVOO URANIUM PROJECT

T. Byambanaran

To mark the commencement of the construction phase of the Zuuvch-Ovoo Project, an official opening ceremony was held on June 3, 2026, in Ulaanbadrakh soum of Dornogobi Province, Mongolia.

The ceremony was attended by Claude Imauven, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Orano Group; O. Batjargal, Governor of Dornogobi Province; representatives of the Government of Mongolia and other public institutions; the management teams of Orano Group’s Mining Business Unit and Badrakh Energy LLC; as well as representatives of subcontracting companies involved in the project.

At the same time, preparations are underway, in cooperation with local companies, for the construction of a road that will connect the future Zuuvch-Ovoo mine with Ulaanbadrakh soum.

Under the project timeline, pilot-scale production is scheduled to begin in 2026, with full-scale mining operations expected to commence in 2028.

According to Badrakh Energy LLC, infrastructure development is currently underway, including the construction of power supply facilities, temporary camp buildings, and access roads. These works are being carried out in cooperation with Mongolian national companies.

In addition, a permanent camp with a capacity to accommodate 300 employees will be constructed by Mongolian enterprises.

The project is expected to create approximately 1,600 direct and indirect jobs over its lifetime.

In addition, on 27 April 2026, a cooperation agreement was signed to support local socio-economic development. Under the agreement, an initial investment of MNT 1 billion will be allocated to local development projects.

The company also plans to gradually increase this support, with annual contributions projected to reach approximately USD 1 million per year in the future.