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Russia's Stranglehold on the Nuclear Power Cycle
- _Microft 3y agoTLDR: Russia controls almost 40% of the uranium conversion capacities and 46% of the enrichment capacities. China is also controlling some amount, leaving only 36% of the conversion (Canada, France) and about 42% of the enrichment capacities under control of allies.
- bdjsiqoocwk 3y agoI don't understand these "x% is under allied control" as if we're talking about a finite resource. We could build more of it if it mattered. So I think a more useful way of thinking would be: do we have enough for our purposes and foreseeable needs?
- patrickhogan1 3y agoThis article only looks at production. The US has the fourth-largest uranium resource in the world, behind Australia, Canada, and Kazakhstan. So 3 of the 4 largest uranium deposits are allied countries. Uranium is a relatively common metal.
- ImJamal 3y agoIs Kazakhstan actually allied with the West? It seems like they are decently friendly with Russia and try to play both sides?
- Natsu 3y agoI assume they're not counting it, but instead are counting the US as allied with itself.
- inglor_cz 3y agoKazakhstan tries to balance interests of all three sides (Russia, China, the West), and given its economic situation and geographic position, this is the only sensible way for them to survive. If Russia wins in Ukraine, Kazakhstan will likely downgrade its relations with us, because now they will be threatened with some deadly Russian love. The country is vast, but thinly populated, and hard to defend. If Russia loses in Ukraine, or at least gets its army mauled beyond recognition, the Western influence in Kazakhstan may increase.
- wkat4242 3y agoThey also have potassium. All other countries have inferior potassium!
- mateo1 3y agoNo matter which country gets the contract, they will have a stranglehold. As you see only a handful of countries around the world are capable of building, operating and refueling a nuclear power plant. Which makes it incredibly inconvenient in yet another way. Cost overruns happen. Delays happen. Prices go up and up. What are you going to do? Pay up or else. That's one more think to keep in mind before evangelizing nuclear power.