UCIL bets on greenfield mines, copper residue to double uranium output by 2036
The Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) aims to double its domestic uranium production by 2036 through four new greenfield mining projects and a circular economy initiative to extract uranium from copper mine tailings. This strategy seeks to bolster India's nuclear power capacity while reducing reliance on imports as the nation transitions toward long-term thorium-based energy.
Why it matters
Increasing domestic uranium production is critical for India's energy security and its ambitious nuclear power expansion goals, which are essential for meeting the country's growing electricity demands.
The Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) plans to double its domestic uranium production by 2036, backed by four greenfield mining and processing projects and a novel initiative to recover uranium from copper mine residue.
As part of its push towards a circular economy, UCIL is expected to begin extracting uranium from copper mine residue from 2029-30. An understanding has already been reached with Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) for the initiative, which is expected to lower mining costs and make uranium recovery more economical.
UCIL CMD Dr. Kancham Anand Rao disclosed the plans while responding to a question from The Hindu at a media workshop organised by the Press Information Bureau and the Department of Atomic Energy in Jaduguda on October 4 and 5, 2026, as part of UCIL’s diamond jubilee celebrations.
“This is a long process. We will take some time till we start this extraction,” Mr. Rao said.
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