중국, 내몽고 3만 톤 규모 우라늄 광상(鑛床) 발견 China's largest uranium mine reports more deposits

 

source qna.org.qa

 

Erdos City in north China's Inner Mongolia

내몽고 얼둬스시의 우라늄광산 위치

kcontents

 

최근 중국의 지질 탐사대는 10년의 노력 끝에 네이멍구(內蒙古)자치구 중부 다잉(大營)지역에서 국내에서 규모가 가장 큰 우라늄 광상(鑛床)을 발견했다.   이로써 중국엔 세계 급 우라늄광이 없다는 역사에 종지부를 찍었다. 매장량은 3만 톤으로, 100만 ㎾급 핵발전소 3개를 60년간 동시에 돌릴 수 있는 양이다.   우라늄은 희귀 방사성 금속원소인데 1g의 우라늄 235를 완전히 분열시킬 때, 방출되는 에너지 량은 2톤 반의 질 좋은 석탄을 완전히 연소시킬 때 나오는 열량과 같다. 군사적으로 우라늄은 주로 핵무기 제조와 핵 추진 동력 원료로 쓰인다.   국토자원부 중앙지질탐사기금 관리센터는 네이멍구자치구 국토자원청과 지질탐사국 등 4개 탐사기관, 28대의 굴착기, 500여명의 탐사기술자와 시공인력을 동원하여 300일이라는 노력을 기울인 결과, 다잉 우라늄 탐사라는 새로운 기원을 이뤄냈다.    내몽고에서 발견된 우라늄 광상 중국은 세계적으로 우라늄 자원이 비교적 풍부한 국가다. 현재 중국의 대형 광상의 최저 기준은 3000톤 이상이고, 초대형 광상은 대형 광상의 10배는 되어야 한다. 중국은 제11차 5개년 계획 기간(2006~2010년)까지 10여개의 대·중형 우라늄 광상을 발견했다.   국가에너지국에 따르면 현재 전국적으로 13개 원자력발전소를 운영하고 있고, 24개는 건립 중에 있다. 전문가들은 이번에 네이멍구에서 발견된 우라늄광은 향후 10년간 핵발전소의 수요량을 충족시킬 수 있을 것으로 보고 있다. 글로벌이코노믹 윤상준 기자

 

China's largest uranium mine reports

more deposits

BEIJING, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese geologists have found more uranium deposits at China's largest uranium mine, Xinhua learned on Thursday.   Geological exploration around the western areas of the Daying uranium mine, located in Erdos City in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, started early this year and lasted six months, said Cheng Liwei, director of the China Central Geological Survey Fund Management Center.   The belt of uranium at the Daying mine is now thought to be 20 kilometers longer than originally estimated, making the mine the 14th largest in the world, said Cheng.   "Compared with a preliminary survey in 2012, this new discovery represents a uranium deposit increase of about 60 percent," Cheng said, without disclosing the estimated size of the deposit.   Exploration staff have reached a drilling depth of about 15,000 meters around the western areas of the Daying mine. The exploration project is supported by investments totaling 24.6 million yuan (4 million U.S. dollars), the Management Center said in a statement on its website.   The Land and Resources Ministry announced in September 2012 that a large leaching sandstone-type uranium deposit was discovered in Daying, along with a large coal mine, with estimated reserves of 51 billion tonnes.   The discovery is significant for boosting domestic uranium supplies and ensuring energy sources for developing nuclear power, the ministry said in 2012.   Uranium is the only commercially available fuel source for nuclear power plants. When used in the civilian sector to fuel nuclear power plants, one kilogram of uranium-235 can theoretically produce as much energy as 3,000 tonnes of coal.   According to the World Nuclear Association, nuclear energy is used to generate around 11 percent of the world's electricity.   China began developing its nuclear power industry in the late 1980s to help ease an energy bottleneck, optimize energy structure and achieve cleaner growth.   By the end of 2013, 17 nuclear plants were in operation, with a total capacity of nearly 15 gigawatts (GW). China aims to raise its installed nuclear power capacity to 40 GW by 2015, according to a government white paper on energy released in October 2012.   As China constructs and puts into operation more nuclear power units, its demand for uranium is set to soar. Currently, it relies heavily on imported uranium to fuel existing nuclear plants.   Without a breakthrough in domestic uranium supply, China will have to rely more heavily on imported uranium as more nuclear power plants go into operation.   Li Ziying, head of the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology under China's largest atomic energy developer CNNC, said China lags behind developed countries in nuclear energy use.   A sufficient domestic uranium supply is of strategic importance to the sustainable development of China's nuclear energy, Li said. shanghaidaily

 

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