usatoday24
The commercial war that He has started United States this April has given much to talk about, especially for Tariff dispute with China. This situation has put an old energy problem on the table: the dependence of foreign uranium.
An uncomfortable dependence. The policies of the current American administration They have made clear their position not to continue towards the change of the energy transition. The Trump approach is placed in fossil fuels, but in nuclear matters it was preceded by Biden. In this specific case the energy constant is has maintained Between both governments, which in the road map left that nuclear energy should triple.
In this way, the United States has been importing 99% of Uranium concentrate to make fuel for your reactors. In addition, the 54 nuclear centrals of the country generate about a fifth of all the electricity it consumes, According to Ciphernews.
Who are the suppliers? As detailed in the same medium, most of the uranium has come from Canada, Kazakhstan, Australia, Russia and Uzbekistan, and although this mineral It was exempt of tariffs, the situation can vary Seeing the stage. In short, the issue has generated a stir in the energy sector and has exposed a structural vulnerability in its nuclear supply chain.
A bet towards national mining. According to the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA)last year the national production of uranium concentrate multiplied by thirteen, but still is not enough to meet the demand. However, Scott Melbye, president of Uranium producers of America, He has assured that at least six companies have restarted mining operations in the country.
It was not always like that. USA It was the largest uranium producer of the world in 1980, but in the following decades other countries ate the land, as was Canada and Kazakhstan because the extraction costs were lower. The situation worsened with a nuclear disarmament agreement of the USSR and for 20 years the half of the US nuclear fuel came from the recycling of Soviet uranium.
After all this situation, in which it began more and more to depend on the uranium of others came the Fukushima accident in 2011. After this tragedy many countries, including USA, They reduced their investment in nuclear energy. Western mining companies paused operations, while Kazakhstan, with state support, Increased its production without worrying about profitability. Russia also continued to sell cheap uranium, even after the end of the disarmament agreement in 2013.
Will it be self -sufficient? The orientation of Trump’s policies It seems to point towards the reactivation of its internal nuclear supply chain. Although uranium is still free of tariffs, global tension, technological advances and energy urgency are pushing the country again to look at their own subsoil. The big question is whether this rebirth will be sufficient and sustainable in the long term.
Image | Pxhere and Gage Skidmore in Flickr
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