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2018-10-04 14:20:00

U.S. URANIUM LOWS

U.S. URANIUM LOWS

U.S. EIA- During 2017, owners and operators of U.S. nuclear power plants purchased 40 million pounds of uranium from foreign suppliers. Canada, Australia, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan represented the top five countries of origin and together accounted for 84% of total U.S. uranium purchases in 2017. A little more than half of these purchases originated from Canada and Australia, which provided 14 million pounds and 8 million pounds of uranium, respectively. The United States supplied 3 million pounds, or 7% of total uranium purchased by U.S. power plants.

U.S. domestic uranium concentrate production began in 1949 and peaked in 1980. Currently, production remains near historical lows. Uranium concentrate production totaled 2.3 million pounds of triuranium octoxide (U3O8) in 2017, the lowest level since 2003. Through the first six months of 2018, uranium concentrate production totaled 592,000 pounds of U3O8, down 50% compared to the first half of 2017. Total uranium concentrate production in 2018 is very likely to be at its lowest level since the industry increased production in the early 1950s.

In 2017, U.S. commercial nuclear power reactors purchased 43 million pounds of U3O8. Purchases were 15% lower than the 2016 total (50.6 million pounds) and were the lowest amount since 1998, when 42.7 million pounds of U3O8 was purchased. Although the amount purchased varies from year to year, increasing unit retirements and rising uranium inventories held by owners and operators of nuclear power plants both exert downward pressure on purchases.

The September closing of New Jersey's Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station left 98 operable nuclear units in the United States. Oyster Creek was the sixth reactor to retire in the past five years. Twelve additional reactors have announced planned retirements within the next seven years. Given the nuclear retirement outlook, U.S. plant operators in competitive markets have curtailed plans for future uranium purchases.

Preparing uranium for use as fuel in nuclear reactors involves several steps in the nuclear fuel supply chain. The production of U3O8, known more commonly as yellowcake, is the first step in the nuclear fuel production process. Uranium concentrate is then converted into uranium hexafluoride (UF6), enriched, fabricated into fuel pellets, and loaded into nuclear reactor fuel assemblies.

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Earlier:

 Nuclear
2018, September, 17, 14:55:00

SEVEN NUCLEAR FACTORS

WNN - The future of nuclear energy depends on the industry’s readiness to address the seven factors influencing its prospects, the deputy director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) told delegates at the World Nuclear Association Symposium 2018 held in London last week.

 Nuclear
2018, September, 17, 14:50:00

U.S. & BRITAIN NUCLEAR RESEARCH

WNN - The UK's National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) and the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have agreed to cooperate on nuclear energy research. The announcement came as the UK and USA signed a nuclear R&D action plan.

 Nuclear
2018, September, 13, 14:00:00

NUCLEAR POWER NEEDS INVESTMENT

IAEA - Overall, the new projections suggest that nuclear power may struggle to maintain its current place in the world’s energy mix. In the low case to 2030, the projections show nuclear electricity generating capacity falling by more than 10% from a net installed capacity of 392 gigawatts (electrical) (GW(e)) at the end of 2017. 

 

 Nuclear
2018, August, 17, 11:50:00

GLOBAL NUCLEAR POWER UP

WNA - Nuclear reactors generated a total of 2506 TWh of electricity in 2017, up from 2477 TWh in 2016. This is the fifth successive year that nuclear generation has risen, with output 160 TWh higher than in 2012.

 

 Nuclear
2018, July, 23, 13:10:00

U.S. URANIUM PRODUCTION: 5%

U.S. DC - U.S. uranium production had been 49 percent of U.S. requirements in 1987. Today, U.S. uranium production has dropped to only five percent of U.S. requirements.

 

 Nuclear
2018, June, 29, 10:30:00

URANIUM IS IMPORTANT

WNN - For the foreseeable future, most new nuclear power technologies will still run, wholly or partially, on uranium, so it is important that this vital resource is mined, produced and managed sustainably, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Yukiya Amano said this week. 

 Nuclear
2018, June, 29, 10:25:00

U.S. NUCLEAR IS IMPORTANT

WNN - A group of 75 senior US figures, including former statesmen, military, industrial and academic leaders, have written to Energy Secretary Rick Perry imploring him to take immediate action to prevent the closure of reactors, citing the contribution of nuclear power to national security. Meanwhile, the US Senate has passed a 2019 appropriations bill providing USD1.2 billion for nuclear energy programmes and supporting nuclear innovation.

 

Tags: USA, URANIUM, NUCLEAR