US continues to import uranium for nuclear reactors

Most of the uranium used to power nuclear reactors in the US is imported. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), owners and operators of nuclear power plants bought 57 million pounds of uranium last year. Nearly half of the purchases were from Canada and Kazakhstan, which provided 17 million pounds and 11 million pounds […]

Kazakhstan signs deal for nuclear fuel bank

Kazakhstan has signed an agreement to set up a nuclear fuel bank in Oskemen. The country will operate the bank which will be a physical reserve of Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) for International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Member States. It follows the project announcement made last month. LEU is the basic ingredient of nuclear fuel. The bank […]

npower’s Wayne Mitchell on nuclear’s future

Does thorium have the answer to our energy needs? As we move to a low-carbon economy, generating sufficient carbon-free energy to make the use of fossil fuels a true thing of the past is a huge challenge. Nuclear is often touted as the most viable large scale source of low carbon electricity to support other […]

Government to flog uranium firm Urenco

The Government is planning to flog some or all of its share of the uranium company Urenco, it announced yesterday. Urenco enriches uranium which is used for fuel in nuclear power stations around the world. It has around 50 customers across 18 countries which makes up roughly 31% of the global market share. Any cash […]

India’s nuclear plant to be commissioned this month

India’s much-delayed nuclear power project in the state of Tamil Nadu (pictured) is expected to be commissioned by the end of the month. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is building two 1,000MW reactors and got approval from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) to load Uranium in the first reactor earlier this […]

One dead in India’s anti-nuclear protest

One person was killed during an anti-nuclear protest in India yesterday. According to reports, protestors turned violent when police tried to stop them from preventing uranium fuel to be loaded in the first of the two 1,000MW reactors. A 44-year old fisherman was killed when police opened fire at a group of people who clashed […]

Japan pledges to reduce Iranian oil imports

Japan has announced it is supporting America’s sanctions on Iran and will begin to reduce the amount it imports. Japan currently imports 10% of its oil from the Middle Eastern country. After meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in Tokyo Japan’s Finance Minister Jun Azumi told reporters “We plan to start reducing this 10% […]

North Korea announces progress on uranium enrichment

North Korea’s Foreign Ministry has announced that it is making progress on work to enrich uranium and build a nuclear power plant, according to reports. The news has caused anxiety on the international scene over fears Pyongyang may use the technology for nuclear weapons. North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the construction […]

USA enters nuclear deal with Ukraine

The United States will provide the Ukraine technology for nuclear research in exchange for highly enriched uranium, according to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who met with President Obama in New York yesterday. In exchange for the uranium, the US are offering the Ukraine new technology which will enable its scientists to conduct studies on low-enriched […]

Significant uranium reserves found

Reserve estimates for the Husab uranium project in Namibia have risen 37% in proven and probable reserves to 280 million tonnes of Uranium. Kalahari Minerals, who hold a 43% stake in Extract Resources, owners of the Husab project which is potentially the second-largest uranium mine in the world has published positive results. Kalahari’s Executive Chairman, […]