Uranium is a common element that is found in many minerals. Most uranium is mined and refined in mines and refineries dedicated to uranium. However, uranium may be present in ore from mines that are dedicated to extracting other minerals and elements.
Terraframe is a mining company owned by the Finnish government. It currently mines and refines nickel, zinc and cobalt at its mine and metals production plant at Sotkamo. The ore at the Sotkamo mine contains about fifteen to twenty milligrams per kilogram. The average amount of uranium in Finnish soil and rock is about four milligrams per kilogram. High grade uranium ore that is currently being mined at uranium mines contains about a hundred milligrams per kilogram.
Terraframe estimates that the ore it processes annually contains about three hundred tons of uranium. Half of this uranium is dissolved during bioleaching of ore. If Terraframe was able to extract uranium during its ore processing, about one hundred and thirty-five tons of uranium could be produced per year.
Terraframe submitted an application for a large-scale recovery operation for uranium to the Finnish Ministry of Employment and Economic Affairs in October of 2017. Following a safety assessment of the Terraframe application, the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (also known as Stuk) issued a statement that says that Stuk believes that Terraframe’s plans for uranium extraction satisfy the important requirements that are stated in Finland’s nuclear energy legislation. A representative of Stuk said, “The nuclear and radiation safety risks caused by the production of uranium to the environment and the residents in the area are minor.”
Jarkko Kyllönen is a senior inspector for Stuk. He said, “In practice, minor risks mean that the radiation exposure of the employees at the uranium recovery plant is minor and the production of uranium will not expose members of the public to additional radiation. The licensee is responsible for the radiation safety of the plant, its employees and its surroundings. Stuk's duty is to oversee that such responsibilities are fulfilled.”
According to Kyllönen, the uranium produced by a recovery plant is classified as a nuclear commodity. He said, “According to the Nuclear Energy Act, the final product of a recovery plant is categorized as nuclear commodities. Therefore, the final product is included in the scope of international nuclear material safeguards. This regulatory control ensures that the product does not end up in the wrong hands.”
In addition to the government’s approval of the Terraframe application, before they can start uranium recovery, they also need to get a sales permit from the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. An additional permit to transport uranium abroad for refining will be needed from the European Atomic Energy Community (Euroatom). Terraframe has already obtained the necessary permits for chemicals and environmental impact. Terraframe estimates that uranium recovery could begin within a year of obtaining all the required permits.
Even though the concentration of uranium in the Sotkamo mine are low, Terraframe believes that they can recover enough uranium for a commercial operation.