A report published by Grand View Research, estimates that the global nuclear energy demand is estimated to grow at a CAGR of over 4% from 2015 to 2022. Nuclear power plays a key role in generation of electricity around the world. The report indicates that rising clean power demand together with depleting fossil fuel reserves is expected to raise energy concerns, which are encouraging energy companies and governments to invest in the nuclear energy market. The World Nuclear Association indicates that the USA is the world's largest producer of nuclear power, accounting for more than 30% of worldwide nuclear generation of electricity. Following a 30-year period in which a few new reactors were built, it is expected that four more new units will come online by 2021. Anfield Energy Inc., Cameco Corporation, Alexco Resource Corp., Ur-Energy Inc., Westwater Resources, Inc.
A report by Forbes indicates the potential of U.S.'s involvement in the nuclear energy technology market. "The global market for nuclear reactors is at least $75 billion per year, even more if you include lucrative fuel and maintenance contracts. American products use to dominate this sector, but Russia, Korea, and China have passed us. The U.S. could easily compete for these billion-dollar contracts using advanced reactors. This would employ tens of thousands of American engineers, manufacturers, and tradesmen, and open up entirely new markets for the United States. But only if we move fast to finish development and construction of these new designs," Forbes reports.
Anfield Energy Inc. is also listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker. On April 25th the company announced that it has, "identified vanadium exploration targets in its recently-acquired exploration database of mining projects in the Western United States. These targets, found in both Colorado and Utah, are considered complementary to Anfield's Utah-based Shootaring Canyon mill as Anfield could include a vanadium processing circuit on this asset. Moreover, these vanadium projects could serve as a potential extended vanadium project pipeline beyond the Velvet-Wood uranium/vanadium project on which Anfield has previously announced a vanadium exploration target. Finally, Anfield's prospective energy partners have shown an increasing interest in the Company's vanadium assets due to the recent upturn in the vanadium price - from $4.00 to $15.00 per pound."
Corey Dias, Anfield CEO, states, "The identification of potential vanadium targets in in our recently-acquired database offers a distinct advantage to the Company. Further to our news release on December 13, 2017, Anfieldhas already identified a vanadium exploration target of between 6.3 million pounds and 9.7 million pounds at its past-producing Velvet-Wood uranium mine - at which vanadium was previously produced as a byproduct - and the potential to create a significant pipeline of vanadium projects is compelling. This is even more attractive to Anfield as it holds one of only three licensed, permitted and constructed uranium mills in the U. S., and the ability to add a vanadium processing circuit to the Shootaring Canyon mill provides a strategic advantage to the Company in relation to its peers as Anfield could accelerate the vanadium production process.
Vanadium is increasingly being embraced by battery manufacturers as a core material in the production of batteries to be used in both small-scale and large-scale applications; in fact, vanadium redox-flow batteries (VFBs) have started to grow in influence as energy companies look to improve energy storage. This ranges from grid-scale uses, such as Prudent Technology's use of a VFB for its solar installation in Italy, to smaller-scale uses such as Warren Buffett's BYD company using vanadium batteries for its electric vehicles and Subaru using a VFB to power its Subaru G4e vehicle. Vanadium is clearly viewed as an attractive alternative to other battery technology sources. Anfield is fortunate in having the ability to exploit two energy metal resources together, both with highly positive demand projections: uranium and vanadium."
Cameco Corporation is one of the world's largest uranium producers accounting for about 16% of global production from our tier-one operations in Canada and Kazakhstan. On April 27, 2018, the company reported its consolidated financial and operating results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2018. Net earnings were $55 million in the first quarter. Earnings were higher this quarter as compared to 2017, largely due to the gain realized on the restructuring of JV Inkai and higher realized prices and deliveries in our uranium segment. As part of the company's ongoing efforts to optimize its contract portfolio and realize uncertain future value today, the company restructured a contract with one of its utility customers that advanced future deliveries into the quarter, resulting in higher sales volume in both the uranium and fuel services segments. As expected, our unit cost of production was higher this quarter due to the suspension of production at McArthur River and Key Lake and the change in reporting for JV Inkai.
Alexco Resource Corp. holds the historical high grade Keno Hill Silver District located in Canada's Yukon Territory. Recently, the company reports financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2018. For the first quarter of 2018 Alexco recorded a net loss of $3.3 million or $0.03 per share, which included $2 M in depreciation, share-based compensation expense and other non-cash costs. In the first quarter, Alexco's wholly owned US subsidiary, Alexco Water and Environment Inc., entered into a Master Services Agreement with Colorado Legacy Land LLC to become the Operator of Responsible Charge for the Schwartzwalder Mine and the former Cañon City Uranium Mill reclamation and cleanup projects. These long-term arrangements are expected to take more than ten years to complete and are expected to generate revenue in excess of $20,000,000 for AWE.
Ur-Energy Inc. is a dynamic junior mining company operating the Lost Creek in-situ recovery (ISR) uranium facility in south-central Wyoming. On April 12, 2018, the company provide the operational results for first quarter 2018. For the quarter, 84,047 pounds of U3O8 were captured within the Lost Creek plant, 79,961 pounds of U3O8 were packaged in drums and 73,515 pounds of U3O8 drummed inventory were shipped out of the Lost Creek processing plant. During the quarter, sales totaled $19.7 million on 380,000 pounds at an average price of $51.75 per pound, which was 140% above the average spot price for the same period of $21.52 per pound. In January, together with Energy Fuels, the company submitted a petition to the U.S. Department of Commerce ("DOC") for Relief Under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (as amended) from Imports of Uranium Products that Threaten National Security (the "Petition"). The Petition seeks an investigation as required under the Trade Act, as well as suggesting relief which might be implemented.
Westwater Resources, Inc. (once URI) is focused on developing energy-related materials. WWR's uranium projects are located in Texas, New Mexico and the Republic of Turkey. WWR remains focused on advancing the Temrezli in-situ recovery (ISR) uranium project in Central Turkey when uranium prices permit economic development of this project. In Texas, the Company has two licensed and currently idled uranium processing facilities and approximately 11,000 acres (4,400 ha) of prospective in-situ recovery uranium projects. Recently, the company announced its results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2018, and also discussed its business outlook and its energy materials business development in 2018. The Company continued to maintain its uranium properties on standby, in anticipation of improved uranium prices. In New Mexico, the company published a new technical report outlining resources on its property holdings at Ambrosia Lake. The Company's Temrezli uranium property in Turkey, with estimated operating costs in the lowest quartile world-wide, is also being maintained on standby.
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