Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said geological exploration activities at the Jabal Sayid project in Madinah have uncovered estimated resources of 110 million tons of ore containing high concentrations of rare earth elements, particularly heavy rare earth elements, along with promising concentrations of uranium.
This places the project among the world’s most significant rare earth mineral resource sites currently under development, he added.
Speaking during the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna, the minister indicated that cooperation with French company Orano has identified economic potential for recovering uranium from these operations.
The minister noted that Saudi Arabia is moving forward with building a comprehensive national energy mix that is more diversified and sustainable, including the integration of nuclear energy into the mix.
The Kingdom is also working on a national program to explore uranium resources and maximize the opportunities to benefit from them through several interconnected practices. The first involves extracting uranium as a byproduct of phosphoric acid, as part of phosphate fertilizer production in northern Saudi Arabia, with the Kingdom being the world’s largest exporter of phosphate fertilizers, according to the minister.
Saudi Arabia is also working to develop its nuclear energy capabilities through trusted international partnerships, the minister stated. He highlighted that the world is witnessing accelerating growth in energy demand, while Saudi Arabia has established itself as a reliable energy supplier.
Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said geological exploration activities at the Jabal Sayid project in Madinah have uncovered estimated resources of 110 million tons of ore containing high concentrations of rare earth elements, particularly heavy rare earth elements, along with promising concentrations of uranium.
This places the project among the world’s most significant rare earth mineral resource sites currently under development, he added.
Speaking during the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) General Conference in Vienna, the minister indicated that cooperation with French company Orano has identified economic potential for recovering uranium from these operations.
The minister noted that Saudi Arabia is moving forward with building a comprehensive national energy mix that is more diversified and sustainable, including the integration of nuclear energy into the mix.
The Kingdom is also working on a national program to explore uranium resources and maximize the opportunities to benefit from them through several interconnected practices. The first involves extracting uranium as a byproduct of phosphoric acid, as part of phosphate fertilizer production in northern Saudi Arabia, with the Kingdom being the world’s largest exporter of phosphate fertilizers, according to the minister.
Saudi Arabia is also working to develop its nuclear energy capabilities through trusted international partnerships, the minister stated. He highlighted that the world is witnessing accelerating growth in energy demand, while Saudi Arabia has established itself as a reliable energy supplier.
