Ok, at least we predicted that one right in Germany. Might still suck if France can’t export power, tho.
Generic_Person_3833 on
The article isn’t well written or researched. It once again confuses enriched uranium and natural uranium, putting up the natural uranium price while talking mostly about enriched uranium.
Natural uranium is not a Russian dominated market. They are one of many miners, with many countries not mining their natural uranium resources due to political or environment concerns. But the uranium isn’t a prime cost driver for nuclear power plants.
Unlike heavy water reactors, the much more common light water reactors need enriched uranium (enriched to 3-5% U235). The Russians hold 44% of that market share (Sovjets nuclear legacy), Urenco in Britain, Netherlands and Germany hold 33% of the market and other players the rest. But world wide enrichment capacities are much higher than demand (cold war legacy) or are artificially increased by governments forbidding using reprocessed nuclear fuel in form of MOX fuel elements.
USA is used as an example in the article, but they only import 1/4 of their enriched demand from Russia. Mostly out of pity on contracts first developed in the 80s and 90s. They could either return to home based enrichment (capacity is there, it’s just unused or strategically mothballed), return to more reprocessing spent fuel or import from Europe.
Russia cannot build nuclear fuel elements for western reactors. That’s why a change is more easy than people think when hearing about Russian uranium. Fuel elements are mostly home build in the US, Britain, France and Germany. Replacing fuel elements is much more tricky than just the sourced enriched uranium.
Russia has only one real monopoly, which is eastern NPP fuel elements for VVERs. Run by Eastern European states, they are dependent on fuel elements from Russia. Westinghouse and Advanced Nuclear Fuels try to develop fuels for VVERs and Westinghouse has started deliveries of their first fuel elements for VVER, at least as tests, but it will take more years to get Eastern Euro (and Finish) VVER away from Russian fuel elements.
Perazdera68 on
Didn’t the EUSSR impose sanctions on Russia?
jkellington on
Lol ok Canada has enough for everyone
Schemen123 on
Quick! Lets build some new nucular plants!
kaspar42 on
This is incredibly stupid for Russia, because unlike natural gas, their enrichment capability can replaced by any advanced country. Building an enrichment facility is not very difficult if you are not doing it covertly or are subject to sanctions.
They had a good export business going with enriched uranium, but by pulling moves like this, their customers will switch long term to more reliable suppliers.
6 Comments
Ok, at least we predicted that one right in Germany. Might still suck if France can’t export power, tho.
The article isn’t well written or researched. It once again confuses enriched uranium and natural uranium, putting up the natural uranium price while talking mostly about enriched uranium.
Natural uranium is not a Russian dominated market. They are one of many miners, with many countries not mining their natural uranium resources due to political or environment concerns. But the uranium isn’t a prime cost driver for nuclear power plants.
Unlike heavy water reactors, the much more common light water reactors need enriched uranium (enriched to 3-5% U235). The Russians hold 44% of that market share (Sovjets nuclear legacy), Urenco in Britain, Netherlands and Germany hold 33% of the market and other players the rest. But world wide enrichment capacities are much higher than demand (cold war legacy) or are artificially increased by governments forbidding using reprocessed nuclear fuel in form of MOX fuel elements.
USA is used as an example in the article, but they only import 1/4 of their enriched demand from Russia. Mostly out of pity on contracts first developed in the 80s and 90s. They could either return to home based enrichment (capacity is there, it’s just unused or strategically mothballed), return to more reprocessing spent fuel or import from Europe.
Russia cannot build nuclear fuel elements for western reactors. That’s why a change is more easy than people think when hearing about Russian uranium. Fuel elements are mostly home build in the US, Britain, France and Germany. Replacing fuel elements is much more tricky than just the sourced enriched uranium.
Russia has only one real monopoly, which is eastern NPP fuel elements for VVERs. Run by Eastern European states, they are dependent on fuel elements from Russia. Westinghouse and Advanced Nuclear Fuels try to develop fuels for VVERs and Westinghouse has started deliveries of their first fuel elements for VVER, at least as tests, but it will take more years to get Eastern Euro (and Finish) VVER away from Russian fuel elements.
Didn’t the EUSSR impose sanctions on Russia?
Lol ok Canada has enough for everyone
Quick! Lets build some new nucular plants!
This is incredibly stupid for Russia, because unlike natural gas, their enrichment capability can replaced by any advanced country. Building an enrichment facility is not very difficult if you are not doing it covertly or are subject to sanctions.
They had a good export business going with enriched uranium, but by pulling moves like this, their customers will switch long term to more reliable suppliers.