World Nuclear Association 2019 Supply of Uranium (Here):
Quantities of mineral resources are greater than commonly perceived, and are relative to both market prices and cost of extraction.
The world's known uranium resources increased by at least one-quarter (25%) in the last decade due to increased mineral exploration.
Uranium is a relatively common element in the crust of the Earth (very much more than in the mantle). It is a metal approximately as common as tin or zinc, and it is a constituent of most rocks and even in the sea water and groundwater.
World Nuclear Association 2010-2020 World Uranium Mining Production (here):
Over two-thirds of the world's production of uranium from mines is from Kazakhstan, Canada and Australia.
An increasing amount of uranium, now over 50%, is produced by in situ leaching.
Kazakhstan produces the largest share of uranium from mines (42% of world supply from mines in 2019), followed by Canada (13%) and Australia (12%).
World Nuclear Association 2021 World Nuclear Power Reactors & Uranium Requirements (here):
Definitions:
Operable = Connected to the grid.
Under Construction = First concrete for reactor poured.
Planned = Approvals, funding or commitment in place, mostly expected to be in operation within the next 15 years.
Proposed = Specific programme or site proposals; timing very uncertain.
* World figures include Taiwan, which generated a total of 31.1 TWh from nuclear in 2019 (accounting for 13.4% of Taiwan's total electricity generation). The island has four operable reactors with a combined net capacity of 3844 MWe. A two-unit plant (Lungmen) commenced construction in New Taipei City in 1999. In February 2019 Taipower confirmed that the two units would not be completed. The two units are listed as under construction in PRIS, but were removed from WNA's database on 1 September 2020.
** International Energy Agency data for year 2018 (latest available).
† Under Construction figures include a number of units where construction is currently suspended: Angra 3 (Brazil); Ohma 1 and Shimane 3 (Japan); Khmelnitski 3&4 (Ukraine).
‡ Baltic 1, a VVER-1200 unit, commenced construction in Kaliningrad in Russia in February 2012. Construction was suspended in July 2013, and in 2017 the RPV made for Baltic 1 was sent to be used in Ostrovets 2 in Belarus. The unit is shown as under construction in PRIS, but was removed from the WNA's database in November 2020.
New plants coming online are largely balanced by old plants being retired. Over 1998-2020, 103 reactors were retired as 105 started operation. However, the reactors grid connected during this period were larger, on average, than those shutdown, so capacity increased by 31 GW. The reference scenario in the 2019 edition of The Nuclear Fuel Report (Table 2.5) has 154 reactors closing by 2040, and 289 new ones coming online (figures include 21 Japanese reactors online by 2040).
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