WNA reported in 2020 on the world nuclear fuel supply and demand at roughly two-yearly intervals since its foundation in 1975. The 19th edition of The Nuclear Fuel Report was released in September 2019 and includes scenarios covering a range of possibilities for nuclear power to 2040. Forecasts beyond 2040 are beyond the scope of the report and would require a rather different approach to capture the larger range of uncertainty; however, the key issues examined in the report are likely to have continued relevance during that longer period. This Expanded Summary covers the key findings of 19th edition, and explains the methodology and the assumptions underlying the report’s three scenarios for future nuclear fuel demand and supply. The full version of The Nuclear Fuel Report can be purchased from the World Nuclear Association’s online shop.
Nuclear power currently contributes over 10% of the world’s electricity production and is expected to continue playing an important role in future electricity supply for several reasons, including:
- Nuclear power produces near-zero greenhouse gas and other pollutant emissions.
- Nuclear power is a reliable and secure power source, which is particularly attractive to industrializing countries and those lacking indigenous energy resources.
- Nuclear power has long-term cost-competitiveness, compared with the levelized cost of both fossil and clean energy sources.
- There are many industrial and human-capital benefits associated with nuclear energy’s development and use.
Despite these advantages, nuclear energy faces competitive challenges from other electricity generation sources, especially in deregulated markets as they are currently designed, along with continuing regulatory and political hurdles. Furthermore, electricity demand growth has slowed down especially in the countries where nuclear power is well-established. However, the nuclear sector remains strong in many developing countries and it is in these countries that the majority of nuclear capacity growth is expected.
Features of the Nuclear Fuel Market
The nuclear fuel market operates in a very different way to other energy markets. Uranium concentrate produced by a mine cannot be fed into a nuclear reactor directly; it has to be processed or pass through different stages of the nuclear fuel cycle (see Figure 1). The nuclear fuel cycle is complex, beginning with the mining of uranium and ending with the disposal of nuclear waste. In order to use uranium in a nuclear reactor, it has to undergo mining and milling, conversion, enrichment and fuel fabrication. These steps make up the 'front end' of the nuclear fuel cycle. The ‘back end’ refers to all stages subsequent to removal of used fuel from the reactor. The used fuel may then go through a further series of steps including temporary storage, reprocessing, and recycling before disposal of remaining waste products.
The fuel cost in nuclear power has historically been a minor element of the total production cost. Fuel costs (inclusive of uranium, conversion, enrichment and fabrication) typically comprise less than 20% of the total cost of electricity for a modern nuclear power plant, compared with up to 80% in fossil fuel-fired plants. Uranium supply can be characterized by two main categories: primary and secondary supply:
- Primary supply refers to uranium that is newly mined and processed, while secondary supply includes uranium received after reprocessing and returned back to the fuel cycle. Primary production has recently (2013-2017) represented about 90% of the global reactor demand. Primary uranium production is characterized by relatively broad geographical distribution (in 2018 uranium was produced in 14 countries), and also by a large number of companies representing major
and junior uranium miners. - The intermediate stages of the nuclear fuel cycle – conversion, enrichment and fuel fabrication – are services provided by specialist companies.
- Secondary supply includes natural and low enriched uranium inventories, high enriched uranium, mixed uranium and plutonium oxide (MOX) fuel, reprocessed uranium and re-enrichment of depleted uranium. Secondary markets for uranium, conversion and enrichment services are well-established, currently meeting about 15% of demand. However, the recycling of nuclear material depends largely on political as well as economic factors.
An important feature of the nuclear fuel cycle is its international dimension. Whilst uranium is relatively abundant throughout the Earth’s crust, but distinct trade specialization has occurred, due partly to the high energy density and therefore the low costs of transport, in comparison with coal, oil and gas. For example, uranium mined in Australia can be converted in Canada, enriched in the UK then fabricated as fuel in Sweden for a reactor in South Africa. Recycled reactor fuel may follow similar international routes, with their related political as well as economic implications.
A further aspect of the nuclear fuel cycle’s international dimension is the amount of licensing, surveillance and national and multinational regulations in place throughout the fuel cycle to ensure that safety and non-proliferation objectives are met. These are administered by governments, regional organizations, such as the Euratom Supply Agency in the EU, and by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The political influence on the uranium market has always been significant. Decisions taken to increase uranium production, to build new reactors, and to allow new fuel cycle facility construction, trade or transport in nuclear materials to take place, often contain significant non-economic dimensions.
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