26 Oct (NucNet): Areva has signed an agreement with Morocco to develop their cooperation and research initiatives in natural uranium.
Areva chief executive officer Anne Lauvergeon signed the agreement with Mustafa Terrab, chief executive officer of the Office Cherifien des Phosphates (OCP), a Moroccan conglomerate of mining and chemical industries.
The agreement covers extraction of uranium contained in phosphoric acid manufactured using Moroccan phosphate ore. Areva and the OCP hope the agreement will add “an industrial dimension” to their scientific cooperation, which dates back to 2005.
Areva said in a statement on 23 October 2007 that phosphates are a promising source of uranium. International Atomic Energy Agency figures put Morocco’s uranium resources in phosphate deposits at around six million tonnes, which corresponds to twice the world’s resources in uranium deposits.
The statement said Areva and the OCP plan to launch a joint study into the feasibility of an industrial site producing uranium from phosphoric acid.
>>Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
Areva Invests EUR 610 Million In New Uranium Conversion Plants (News No. 125, 22 May 2007)
Areva Completes UraMin Acquisition (News No. 179, 1 August 2007)
