Decouple How to Fuel a Tripling of Nuclear Energy
Dec 12, 2023
Titans of the nuclear fuel cycle discuss scaling up Uranium mining and fuel manufacturing in the context of tripling nuclear energy. They highlight the dependency on Russia for enrichment services and the urgency of achieving fuel independence. The advantages of Triso fuel are explored, as well as the challenges faced by Halo in the nuclear energy industry. The development of Triso X facility and geopolitical implications of the gas cut off in Europe are also discussed.
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Uranium Mining Scale-Up
- Tripling nuclear energy by 2050 requires a significant increase in uranium production, from 50,000 to 150,000 tons.
- Tim Gitzel believes this is achievable with industry and government support, given sufficient long-term contracts.
Enrichment Dependence on Russia
- Europe and the US heavily rely on Russia for uranium enrichment services, raising energy security concerns.
- A bill in the US House aims to ban Russian uranium imports, highlighting the potential crisis.
Enrichment Capacity
- Boris Schucht acknowledges the overcapacity in the enrichment market.
- He suggests dependence on Russia is a solvable political issue rather than a significant technical problem.