• 20 September 2024
• 100

A hackathon on uranium mining was held in Kyzylorda

Korkyt ata Kyzylorda University has become a platform for discussing problematic issues of the mining industry. This is due to the fact that domestic and foreign scientists and researchers of research institutes took part in a scientific and technological hackathon organized on the initiative of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of RoK and NAC Kazatomprom JSC. 

Science was considered not as a science, but as a driving force of production – according to this principle, more than 50 participants took part in the scientific and technological hackathon organized on the initiative of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of RoK and NAC Kazatomprom JSC.

Korkyt ata Kyzylorda University became a platform for discussing topical issues of the uranium production sector, scientists and experienced specialists from 6 groups were engaged in solving 25 production tasks of the industrial cluster.

Together with specially created groups, experts have developed technological recommendations focused on a specific result. Scientists and representatives of the production studied unique technologies for the extraction and enrichment of rare metals from uranium production solutions, additional extraction of rare metals during underground leaching, processing of gas cleaning solutions, including the prevention of "wet" purification.

Scientist Yerkin Bektai was part of a group working on the topic of rare metals and expressed his opinion. According to him, for the first time, the scientific community has united on a large scale to solve specific production tasks. "We have proposed a solution for cost-effective extraction of scandium from uranium solutions. It includes the use of specially developed extractants and technologies, which makes it possible to effectively isolate scandium with minimal cost and maximum purity of the product. This can significantly improve the results of work in this area, increasing the efficiency and economic feasibility of the process," the scientist said.

Vice Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan Darkhan Ahmed-Zaki said: "Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted in the Message of 2024 that a systematic step is needed to unlock the industrial potential of the country. The symbiosis of scientists and industrialists is one of the tools in this direction. Today we are holding a hackathon for the third time. It unites the efforts of scientists and manufacturers and allows them to solve specific technological problems. Such scientific and innovative formats are the basis for the commercialization of science and technological progress in the country"

 According to Armanbek Umirgali, Director of the Science Department of JSC NAC Kazatomprom, the National Atomic Company Kazatomprom always pays special attention to science and development, since without science it is impossible to achieve and maintain a leading position in the world. For example, we have three major research centers, including the Institute of High Technologies. The collaboration of our scientists with the scientists from Research institutes and universities of Kazakhstan is especially important for us to implement scientific projects aimed at the development of our industry."

"The peculiarity of this hackathon is that all participants had the opportunity to create useful stuff.  In two days, we have reached the level of prototyping solutions required by NAC Kazatomprom JSC and the country's uranium mining industry. In addition, future research topics have been developed for program-oriented financing of the Ministry. In this context, domestic scientists will be able to see specific areas that will be in demand by one of the largest uranium-producing corporations in Kazakhstan. I am sure that such events will lead to mutually beneficial cooperation between scientists and manufacturers. We can be sure that the results of our research have a clear applied orientation and can be financed, commercialized, and most importantly, put into production," said Nurzhan Suleimenov, a scientist at Korkyt ata Kyzylorda University.

According to the representative of NAC Kazatomprom JSC, the scientists expressed their readiness to start specific work on the stated topic, prepare a scientific and technical task with technical characteristics and apply for state grant funding in the future. Long-term projects require more in-depth study. After all, they are aimed not only at topical issues, but also at the future of the uranium mining industry in Kazakhstan as a whole. The participants of the hackathon also visited the fields of Kyzylkum LLP and Baiken-U LLP.