The Croatia of the energy market is, without a doubt, uranium. This metal suffers from many misconceptions because of the fact that it is associated with nuclear threats and radioactive disasters that occurred in Chernobyl because of poor management and incident in Fukushima.
Uranium mining is an industry on the rise, and just like Thailand was a country full of potential but very little practical touristic infrastructure 30 years ago, and today is considered a must-visit destination for beach lovers, uranium will be considered a must-have energy source in our future on this planet.
Uranium history does not tell a story that goes back thousands of years, like copper, nickel, tin, or any of the ancient elements that have been in use for thousands of years. It tells, rather, the story of the early development of what will be a critical metal and energy source in the 21st-century.
About 12% of the world electricity is generated from uranium in nuclear plants, the same amount that powered the entire planet in 1960. It comes from some 450 nuclear reactors, with a capacity of about 500,000 megawatts, produced at 31 different countries. Over 70 more reactors are under construction, and another 170 are planned.
Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Hungary, Japan, South Korea, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine all get 30% or more of their electricity from nuclear power plants. The U.S has 100 reactors operating, supplying 20% of its electricity. France receives 75% of its electricity from uranium.
Australian resources are almost 33% of the world total, Kazakhstan is 12%, and Canada and Russia are 9%. Other countries have significant uranium resources. Apart from the ones mentioned, there is also Brazil, China, Mongolia, Namibia, Niger, South Africa, the U.S., Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan is the top uranium producer, along with Canada and then Australia of uranium to global markets. Resources are large with new discoveries.
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Managed & Built by I2M Consulting, LLC | © 2010-
Managed & Built by I2M Consulting, LLC | © 2010-