Morocco to extract Uranium from its Phosphates

Casablanca- Morocco’s minister of higher education, Scientific Research and Executive Training Lahcen Daoudi announced on Thursday that Morocco will start extracting uranium from its phosphate.

During a conference on ‘Higher Education and Sustainable Economic Development’ organized by the Rotary Club in Casablanca, the minister asserted that Morocco will extract uranium from its phosphates resources starting from 2015.

Mr. Daoudi confirmed a statement made few months ago by Mustapha Terrab, CEO the Cherifian Office of Phosphates, who was quoted as saying that Morocco’s project of extracting uranium had reached very advanced stage.

Morocco’s phosphate contains very significant concentration of uranium, according to OCP’s director.

On the other hand, the International Atomic Energy Agency stated in one of its reports that the uranium in Moroccan phosphates was discovered in 1946.

Morocco can be the world leader by producing 2840 tons uranium according to the IAEA.

The agency estimated Morocco’s uranium resources in phosphate deposits to have reached about 6 million tons, which corresponds to twice the world’s deposits in uranium resources. Morocco is the largest phosphate exporter, and holds 75% of world’s reserves of phosphates (85 billion tons).

Uranium is a radioactive metal that is mainly used to produce electricity and medical treatment, but it is also used for nuclear weapons.

Over the past decade, the US has been urging Morocco to monitor and reduce its trade with Iran, known for its nuclear program, as Tehran has become able to extract uranium from phosphates.