Picture credentials : Cameco

Commissioned in 1983, the Blind River Refinery is the largest commercial uranium refinery in the world and the only facility of its kind in Canada. It processes uranium ore concentrates (also known as yellowcake) received from mines around the world into uranium trioxide (UO₃), a key intermediate product in the nuclear fuel cycle.

At the facility, transported uranium concentrates undergo multiple chemical processes — including digestion, solvent extraction and denitration — to remove impurities and produce high-purity UO₃ powder. The finished uranium trioxide is then shipped to Cameco’s Port Hope Conversion Facility in Ontario for further processing into uranium hexafluoride (UF₆) or uranium dioxide (UO₂) used in nuclear fuel manufacturing.

The refinery is licensed to produce approximately 18 000 tonnes of uranium as UO₃ annually, with provisions to increase capacity to 24 000 tonnes subject to regulatory approval. It operates under a Class IB Fuel Facility Operating Licence issued by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), valid through 2032.