The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has allowed AREVA to process in the McClean Lake mill high-grade ore from the Cigar Lake mine, expected to begin operations later this year. The CNSC also allowed AREVA’s McClean Lake mill to increase production from 3,600 to 5,900 t/year of uranium concentrate. The McClean Lake mill will also be able to receive and process ore from the McArthur River mine. With this licence, Areva is another step closer to meet its objective of re-starting the McClean Lake mill and processing Cigar Lake ore.
The McClean Lake mill, operated by Areva (70% stake, alongside Denison Mines, which has a 22.5% stake, and Overseas Uranium Resources Development (OURD) of Japan, which owns 7.5%), is the only mill in the world able to process very high-grade ore without dilution. It will eventually have a production capacity of 10,900 tonnes of uranium concentrate per year.