Uranium Report: Plenty More Where That Came From

[Dogmudgeon]

As reported in the http://www.oecd.org/">OECD "Red Book" (Uranium 2007: Resources, Production and Demand).

Uranium Report: Plenty More Where That Came From
Supply Sufficient for Next Century Amid Robust Demand Growth

Amid heightened international interest in nuclear energy, countries are paying closer attention to a finite resource that helps to make nuclear power possible: uranium. A report released today finds that new discoveries and re-evaluations of known conventional uranium resources will be adequate to supply nuclear energy needs for at least 100 years at present consumption level. Growing demand and higher prices have spurred greater investment in exploration and led to larger identified conventional uranium resources over the past two years.

...

The uranium market has demonstrated recent strength, with major new investments and expenditures for exploration increasing more than 254% over the two-year period from 2004-2006. Over $774 million was spent globally on exploration in 2006. While global production dipped by 6% from 2005-2006, significant production increases were noted in Kazakhstan and the US.

The demand picture is increasingly complex, with significant nuclear power builds underway in China, India, Korea, Japan and the Russian Federation, and phase-out programmes underway in several European countries. Yet the report notes that new builds along with plant life extensions should increase global installed nuclear capacity in the coming decades, thereby increasing demand for uranium. Projections for 2030 indicate a range of expected growth in demand from a low estimate of 38% to a high case of roughly 80%.

In contrast to some other energy resources such as oil, the geographical distribution of uranium resources remain quite varied. Currently uranium is mined in 20 countries, with Iran being the latest entrant. Canada and Australia currently account for 44% of global uranium production, and other top uranium producers are Kazakhstan (13%), Niger (9%), Russian Federation (8%), Namibia (8%), Uzbekistan (6%), and the United States (5%).

...

(http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2008/uraniumreport.html">Article from International Atomic Energy Agency website.

And we're still getting about 40% of our fissile material from recycling old warheads, according to Platts.

--p!

[Vincardog]

1. at present consumption level is the key. Double the present consumption and you have 50 years double

it again and you have 12.5 years worth of uranium.
So much for that dirty uranium being the solution to our energy problem.

[Zachstar]

2. There is no way in hell we are going to double the reactor count in 50 years.

Keep in mind many reactors are actually in Ships and we arent going to double the ship reactor use.

Fission is also on its way out. Simply because a better source of climate change free energy will replace it and that being fusion. Which will be much more economical to operate.

So the supply problem is a nonproblem and they have never had to seriously look for the fuel before so they will discover it in weird areas like they did with oil.

[kristopher]

3. Tell me about fusion. Seriously.

I have know the concept, and that there are problems with containment and thus duration.

That's it.

Fill in some blanks for me. Links are fine. Any level ok.

Thanks.
K

[Zachstar]

4. Ill give you a few links but the whole concept is so advanced...

That I hope you will do additional research on your own.


For instance there is a multitude of different fusion reactions.

Cold fusion (Yes it exists the question is if it can be made to be energy positive)

Electrostatic Fusion (The one I support as I support Bussard's EMC2 fusion)

And heat fusion which is the sun of course.

BTW those are just common names as there is like I said tons of names and concepts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fusion

http://www.emc2fusion.org/ be sure to watch the Google video of the late Dr. Bussard talking about it years ago. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1996321846673788606 (Note they got the funding since then and WB7 is online.)

http://www.iter.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITER

---------------------

Aneutronic fusion

By far this is the most important goal for humanity in this century http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aneutronic_fusion Because without a massive amount of neutrons such reactors will be safe for use without fear of radiation proliferation. AKA a less friendly nation can use it without a million sanctions slamming down.

[kristopher]

5. Thanks, I'm bookmarking it. Give me a couple of days. nt