China presently depends on uranium imports to fuel its nuclear energy needs (57 operational reactors, 30+ under construction, 40+ planned).
China’s annual uranium demand is about 12,000-14,000 metric tons. By 2030, demand could hit 25,000-30,000 ton/year, and 35,000-40,000 tons a year by 2035 to hit the 200 GWe planned output.
It currently gets its uranium from Kazakhstan (50%), Uzbekistan (20%), Canada (10-15%), Namibia (10%), and Russia (5%).
China won’t be able to immediately start mining, given time constraints and need to account for the Ordos Desert’s harsh geological and climactic conditions. But if the new find at Ordos proves significant, it can power a substantial portion of the Asian giant’s growing nuclear fuel demand for years if not decades to come.
Besides uranium, Chinese scientists recently discovered a 2,800 km lithium belt in West Kunlun-Songpan-Ganzi, containing over 6.5 million tons of proven reserves, and total potential of over 30 million tons.