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That’s raw uranium ore. Uranium undergoes several refinement steps. In each Russia has an enormous market share.

account42 2y ago
So? Refinement doesn't have a dependency on a particular location. This is like saying nuclear energy in Germany is dependent on France and other countries. Currently it is but only because we choose to not do it locally - it doesn't have to be this way.
rhubinak 2y ago
Not true by skimming the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enriched_uranium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enriched_uranium > The following countries are known to operate enrichment facilities: Argentina, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Iran, Japan, the Netherlands, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
- legulere 2y ago
  Before uranium enrichment comes conversion to Uranium Hexafluoride. For instance the German uranium enrichment facility (biggest one in Europe) gets Uranium Hexafluoride from Russia. Also a list of countries operating enrichment facilities does not say anything about capacity (Russia 50%) or market share (Russia 44%). https://www.enerdata.net/publications/executive-briefing/uranium-enrichment.html https://www.enerdata.net/publications/executive-briefing/ura... The reality is that both the US and Europe are dependent on Russian uranium services, with the biggest dependency in Eastern Europe for fuel rods for Soviet-style Reactors. It's slowly changing, but will probably take decades.
philistine 2y ago
You know refinement can be done anywhere? We take bauxite and ship it to the other side of the world to make aluminium because electric power is cheaper there.
- ViewTrick1002 2y ago
  We still haven't been able to decouple from the Russian nuclear industry. It is one of few industries not yet sanctioned. On the other hand Germany managed to decouple itself from the Russian fossil gas industry within months. So tell me again "How it can be done anywhere" when we apparently can't do it without Russia 3 years into the war.

So? Refinement doesn't have a dependency on a particular location. This is like saying nuclear energy in Germany is dependent on France and other countries. Currently it is but only because we choose to not do it locally - it doesn't have to be this way.

rhubinak 2y ago

Not true by skimming the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enriched_uranium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enriched_uranium > The following countries are known to operate enrichment facilities: Argentina, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Iran, Japan, the Netherlands, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

legulere 2y ago
Before uranium enrichment comes conversion to Uranium Hexafluoride. For instance the German uranium enrichment facility (biggest one in Europe) gets Uranium Hexafluoride from Russia. Also a list of countries operating enrichment facilities does not say anything about capacity (Russia 50%) or market share (Russia 44%). https://www.enerdata.net/publications/executive-briefing/uranium-enrichment.html https://www.enerdata.net/publications/executive-briefing/ura... The reality is that both the US and Europe are dependent on Russian uranium services, with the biggest dependency in Eastern Europe for fuel rods for Soviet-style Reactors. It's slowly changing, but will probably take decades.

philistine 2y ago

You know refinement can be done anywhere? We take bauxite and ship it to the other side of the world to make aluminium because electric power is cheaper there.

ViewTrick1002 2y ago
We still haven't been able to decouple from the Russian nuclear industry. It is one of few industries not yet sanctioned. On the other hand Germany managed to decouple itself from the Russian fossil gas industry within months. So tell me again "How it can be done anywhere" when we apparently can't do it without Russia 3 years into the war.