G.E.O.S manages the remediation of the former uranium mining and processing complex Mailuu-Suu in Kyrgyzstan - project started in April 2022

Following the successful remediation of the former Shekaftar and Min-Kush uranium ore deposits in Kyrgyzstan, preparation for the remediation of the former Kyrgyz uranium mining and processing complex Mailuu-Suu in the south-western part of the country started in April 2022. G.E.O.S. takes over the leadership in the Project Management Unit and thus controls the entire remediation works.

The former uranium mining site Mailuu-Suu comprises disused mining facilities such as shafts and tunnels, partially contaminated building structures as well as a large number of tailings and sludge ponds with residues from uranium processing. The site is prone to earthquakes and a number of properties are in the impact zone of landslides and flooding zones. According to a study by the Blacksmith Institute in New York, Mailuu-Suu is one of the ten most polluted regions in the world with toxic substances.

With the signing of the project agreements between the Kyrgyz government, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic and G.E.O.S., the site is now undergoing extensive redevelopment. The aim of the remediation is a guaranteed long-term stabilisation of risky facilities and sites. The remediated areas will be made available to the residents for future use.

G.E.O.S. analysed the as-is status and made a risk assessment for the area in the years 2017 to 2020, following extensive research and environmental assessments. In cooperation with the Ministry of Disaster Management of Kyrgyzstan, a strategy for the remediation of the site was then specified and planning documents for the remediation of the sub-properties were issued. Now G.E.O.S. is regularly on site with its own engineers and is responsible for site preparation, implementation planning and construction supervision of the works on site.

The entire remediation project is part of an EBRD-funded programme to clean up the legacy of uranium mining in the former Soviet Union on the territory of the countries Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The remediation is financed by the EBRD. The work is scheduled to be completed in 2029.