The Finnish group Terraframe has started uranium mining at its industrial site in Sotkamo, central Finland, marking a first for the country. Before the uranium recovery began, the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) conducted a commissioning inspection at the uranium recovery plant and found that the plant can be commissioned safely. The recovery plant is estimated to operate at full capacity by 2026, when the company’s uranium output will total about 200 t/year.
In 2020, the Finnish Government granted a uranium recovery permit to Terrafame under the Nuclear Energy Act, authorizing the company to recover uranium from the ore in the Sotkamo mine.
Finland’s uranium resources are estimated at 1,200 t (as of end-2023). In the European Union, prior to the start of uranium mining by Terraframe, only two countries produced uranium, namely Czechia and Hungary (36 t and 3 t in 2023 respectively).