Prime Minister S. Batbold has said that Mongolia plans to commence uranium exploration by 2012. “With nearly one million tons of reasonably assured reserve of uranium, we need to speed up production to make uranium the most ambitious mining project in Mongolia after Oyutolgoi and Tavantolgoi,” he said.

The reserves of the Mardai deposit in Dornod and in Kharaat in Dundgobi have been established and feasibility studies for them are under way. “Exploration will start by 2012, and Mongolia will begin selling uranium from 2013 or 2014,” Batbold said. “As regards nuclear energy production, there is a lot to do and we are proceeding step by step.” Altogether 107 prospecting licenses have been granted to 17 entities, and their work is being strictly monitored by the Government, pursuant to the Nuclear Energy Law of Mongolia.  

Some MPs have criticized the Government and related agencies for their failure to decide on making the projected fifth power plant a nuclear one. The Nuclear Energy Agency has tentative plans for developing nuclear power, using either Korean Smart reactors or Toshiba 4S types, from 2021. Three sites under consideration are Ulaanbaatar, western Mongolia and Dornod province.