Uranium shortage to affect nuclear push?
The news comes at a time when nations are making a push towards nuclear power
Owners of uranium mines have highlighted the possibility of future fuel shortages, threatening the push towards nuclear power.
This revelation comes at a time when nations are preparing for the largest nuclear power investment in decades.
According to a report from New Scientist, mined uranium currently caters for 60% of the demand for nuclear fuel, with the remainder being provided by secondary sources. However, the security of this supply is being questioned.
The publication states that uncertainty is hampering investment in new mines, which could cause shortages in the future, while the current low cost of uranium is not provided an incentive to put cash into the sector.
This is coupled with concerns that the world's uranium resources may have been overestimated, with Michael Dittmar, particle physicist at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, calling into question the figures published by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA).
He stated that reasons behind fluctuations in estimated resources produced by the bodies are unclear, suggesting some predictions may have been politically motivated to encourage investment in certain nations.
However, Robert Vance, a nuclear energy analyst at the NEA, told New Scientist that while the bodies cannot rule out such activity, there are strict rules in place which govern resource estimation.
Earlier this month, the UK government named ten sites across the nation which are possible locations for nuclear power stations.
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