The Elkon Mining and Metallurgical Plant (EGMK) in Yakutia is preparing to launch a large-scale project for processing gold and uranium ores. The company is completing tests of new heap leaching technology and is reviving the Big Elkon project, which will provide the country with strategic raw materials for decades to come.
EGMK, part of Rosatom, continues to develop the mineral resource base of the Elkon ore district, located in South Yakutia. Initially, the enterprise was created for the development of uranium deposits, but the subsoil of the region also contains significant reserves gold and silver. It was gold mining that became the first stage in the industrial development of the complex.
In 2024 at field Severnoye produced about 700 kilograms of gold, and by the end of 2025 the volume is planned to double. The ore is mined by open-pit mining and processed using the heap leaching method: crushed rock is placed in piles, over the surface of which reagents are uniformly distributed, leaching the precious metal from the rock. The resulting concentrate, after electrolysis, is converted into doré alloy, which is sent to refineries.
By the end of the year, EGMK plans to put the facility at the Severnoye field into commercial operation. From 2027, the enterprise will produce up to three tons of gold annually. The next stage is the transition to the processing of uranium-containing ores. After completing the gold extraction cycle, tens of tons of uranium remain in the piles, which can also be extracted with high efficiency.
Together with Russian research centers, the plant’s specialists have developed a new alkaline leaching technology, which will replace the sulfuric acid process with a safer method. To implement the plan, EGMK is preparing a modular plant with a capacity of up to 200 tons of uranium per year. Pilot testing of the technology will start in 2026, and the first results are expected by 2028–2029.
The project has great prospects. The oxidized ore reserves of the Northern site are estimated at approximately 25 million tons, which will provide processing for the next ten years. Subsequently, the technology can be applied to the southern sections, extending the life of the plant for several more decades.
At the same time, the Big Elkon project is being revived – the construction of a full-fledged mining and metallurgical enterprise for processing deep-seated uranium-containing ores. The project, frozen after the Fukushima accident, received a new economic assessment in 2024 and is being approved by Rosatom. It is based on a combined technology for extracting uranium and gold from a depth of up to 300 meters.
According to preliminary calculations, Big Elkon will annually process 2.5 million tons of ore and produce about two thousand tons of uranium. According to geologists, the balance reserves of the deposits will last for at least 140 years.
The Big Elkon project is of strategic importance for Russia. It will not only ensure a stable supply of natural uranium for nuclear energy, but will also create new jobs in Yakutia. The development of the Elkon complex will be an example of the efficient use of mineral resources and a step towards the technological sovereignty of the country.
The material was prepared with the support of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science as part of the Decade of Science and Technology.
Source: strana-rosatom.ru
Photo: Rosatom
