Japan to import Kazakh uranium via Russia's FE ports.

TOKYO (Itar-Tass) -- Due to instability in the Middle East,
Japan intends to import Kazakh uranium to the country through Russia's
ports in the Far East, a representative of the Japanese energy resources
sector said on Friday.
At present, uranium ore produced Kazakhstan and processed in France
and Great Britain is imported to Japan by the southern sea way through the
Suez Channel. However, this route, as experts note, has become more
dangerous of late because of sea pirates' high activity, as well as
growing tension in the Middle East region. Taking this into account, Japan
plans to import Kazakh uranium for its nuclear power plants' needs after
its enrichment in Russia by the Trans-Siberian railway main and Russia's
ports in the Far East.
The first test supply of 15 tonnes of uranium by a new route is
scheduled for autumn 2011, and in full volume, this way of transportation
will begin to be used, as the Japanese Agency for Natural Resources and
Energy believes, as of the beginning of 2012. The implementation of this
project, as specialists stress, will enable Japan both to raise the
reliability and security of uranium supplies and reduce the time of their
delivery by approximately one month.