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“As Soon As Possible”: US Preparing To Wean Itself Off Russian Nuclear Fuel
NxtMine Economics ^ | 09/29/2022 | Tyler Durden

Posted on 09/29/2022 8:54:33 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

Russia's dominance in the global nuclear fuel market presents another massive challenge for Washington, especially the liberal hawks in the Biden administration, who are trying to wean Western countries off Russian energy supplies.

Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said President Biden is redoubling efforts to break the US reliance on Russian nuclear fuel, indicating domestic uranium-enrichment capacity could be increased with upcoming key legislation.

"We are going to get Congressional support in a bipartisan way for us to make our own fuel cycle supply chain independent, certainly of Russia," Granholm said in an interview at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Bloomberg quoted.

"We've got to make this happen for our own independence and national security," she continued.

Bringing on new capacity could take years. For instance, uranium extracted from mines to refine into fuel for nuclear reactors takes three to five years.

Russia controls about two-fifths of the global enrichment services market and supplies almost a quarter of the fuel for the US' 93 operational nuclear reactors. This is another chokepoint the US is trying to avoid.

Earlier this year, Washington banned imports of Russian fossil fuel products, though uranium wasn't part of the sanctions.

"We should not be sending any money to Russia for any American energy or for any other reason," Granholm said in May.

The Biden administration is working toward expanding a uranium supply chain to wean itself off Russian supplies though top congressional Democrats recently balked at Biden's $1.5 billion request in an upcoming budget bill to support domestic uranium enrichment programs.

"We need to signal that the US is committed to its own fuel supply as well as the conversion and enrichment components of the supply chain.

"This investment in our own supply chain is a critical piece of that," Granholm said in Vienna.

The American nuclear industry could soon see a resurgence since the Three Mile Island facility accident in 1979 sent it into a tailspin for decades if Granholm and the Biden administration can get funding.

She said the government would support the demand side rather than taking direct ownership stakes in facilities.

"We would be using the market to make sure this capability gets out," she added. "We would contract with facilities. The goal is to be independent as soon as possible."

Several nuclear fuel supply chain companies, including Honeywell International Inc., General Atomics, and Centrus Energy Corp., could benefit from atomic independence from Russia.

Readers may recall we have outlined Nuclear Power Is Staging A Remarkable Comeback and Why Nuclear Energy Is More Relevant Than Ever.

Remember we outlined in 2020: Buy Uranium: Is This The Beginning Of The Next ESG Craze.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: nuclearfuel; nukes; russia
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1 posted on 09/29/2022 8:54:33 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

How about some thorium?


2 posted on 09/29/2022 9:00:15 PM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear (This is not a tagline.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Does that include the URanium One fuel Hillary and Obama approved the sale of?


3 posted on 09/29/2022 9:01:31 PM PDT by KarlInOhio (The government sees you as either livestock or pet. If things get bad they will eat their pets too.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Remember this?

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-hillary-clinton-sold-americas-uranium-2016-10-26

https://www.newsweek.com/what-we-know-about-russian-uranium-scheme-involving-clinton-and-obama-693348

https://docs.house.gov/meetings/II/II06/20190625/109694/HHRG-116-II06-20190625-SD004.pdf

https://www.nationalreview.com/2017/10/uranium-one-deal-obama-administration-doj-hillary-clinton-racketeering/


4 posted on 09/29/2022 9:10:03 PM PDT by Chgogal (Welcome to Fuhrer Biden's Weaponized Fascist Banana Republic! It's the road to hell.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Liberals: “The way to wean America off the need for Russian nuclear fuel is to shut down all the reactors in America. Voila! Problem solved.”


5 posted on 09/29/2022 9:13:34 PM PDT by 17th Miss Regt
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To: SeekAndFind

We’re not going to have any energy of any kind. This regime will see to that.


6 posted on 09/29/2022 9:15:50 PM PDT by Bullish (Rot'sa Ruck America. )
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To: null and void; aragorn; EnigmaticAnomaly; kalee; Kale; AZ .44 MAG; Baynative; bgill; bitt; ...

???

maybe we can get some U1 back, too


7 posted on 09/29/2022 9:38:26 PM PDT by bitt (<IMG SRC=' 'width=50%> )
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To: SeekAndFind
I hope the Energy department has quit destroying stockpiles of Uranium-233 and thorium after Tuberville got onto them. That is probably the upcoming legislation that is referenced.

Tuberville’s legislation would stop destruction of thorium stockpiles

8 posted on 09/29/2022 9:41:46 PM PDT by DannyTN
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To: SeekAndFind

In reponse to Russia’s “annexation”, the EU was preparing additional sanctions on Russian products totaling 7 billion euros.

The US is also weighing addtional sanctions.

I don’t know if Uranium is part of those.

But I’d think Russia would be halting the urainium supplies to us if they haven’t already done so.

If they haven’t, they are as stupid as we are.


9 posted on 09/29/2022 9:44:22 PM PDT by DannyTN
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To: SeekAndFind

Just need to put Hillary on it as she has some real experience with Russia and uranium
I’m sure she would get some awesome deals for the big guy.


10 posted on 09/29/2022 9:52:00 PM PDT by redcatcherb412
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To: SeekAndFind

Just need to put Hillary on it as she has some real experience with Russia and uranium
I’m sure she would get some awesome deals for the big guy.


11 posted on 09/29/2022 9:52:04 PM PDT by redcatcherb412
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To: SeekAndFind

Just need to put Hillary on it as she has some real experience with Russia and uranium
I’m sure she would get some awesome deals for the big guy.


12 posted on 09/29/2022 9:52:06 PM PDT by redcatcherb412
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To: SeekAndFind

especially the liberal hawks in the Biden administration
/\

Oh.

So,, suddenly,, dems found Jesus and are going to stop slitting America’s energy throat every chance they get since and including Hillary’s U-1 sale ?

B.S.

Mid term - 2024 campaign lies.


13 posted on 09/29/2022 9:52:11 PM PDT by cuz1961 (USCGR Veteran )
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To: redcatcherb412

Jeez ... Sorry for the post stutters


14 posted on 09/29/2022 9:52:43 PM PDT by redcatcherb412
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To: cuz1961

ProgyDemCommieFilthyPervs

can’t win with

ABORTION
ABORTION !
ABORTION !!!

OR

RUSSIA
RUSSIA !
RUSSIA !!

OR

INSURRECTION
INSURRECTION !
INSURRECTION !!

Or

SAVE DEMOCRACY
SAVE DEMOCRACY!
SAVE DEMOCRACY !!

OR

GREAT ECONOMY
GREAT ECONOMY !
GREAT ECONOMY !!

Lies and Negatives

So now they think
they can con us
with ENERGY with a dem makeover on it ?

.liars, grifters, scum.


15 posted on 09/29/2022 10:04:56 PM PDT by cuz1961 (USCGR Veteran )
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To: cuz1961

Lies and Narratives ( fu a.i ac)

So now they think
they can con us
with ENERGY with a dem makeover on it ?

.liars, grifters, scum.


16 posted on 09/29/2022 10:06:42 PM PDT by cuz1961 (USCGR Veteran )
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To: SeekAndFind

Meanwhile in Germany, if the Germans want gas now they have to fart it, and there is a global shortage of beans.


17 posted on 09/29/2022 10:17:31 PM PDT by cranked
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To: SeekAndFind

The Hag and the Obozo have already been paid their millions for the Uranium One sale to Russia so weaning the US off of Russian uranium now will likely open the door for another treasonous money making ploy by the DC criminal cabal.


18 posted on 09/29/2022 10:24:36 PM PDT by drypowder
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To: KarlInOhio
Does that include the URanium One fuel Hillary and Obama approved the sale of?

Russia had little interest in owning USA uranium mines or processing plants. They would face the same green regulatory burdens and short-term political thinking that has shut down everyone in the USA uranium mining, processing and enrichment industry. The USA mined and produced basically ZERO uranium last year. How pathetic is that???

What the Russians were really after with the purchase of Uranium One, was their large, and growing uranium joint-ventures in Kazakhstan, in Russia's own back-yard (and yes, they needed Hillary Clinton State Dept. approval for the sale). Russia's Rosatom now has its hands deeply in Kazakh uranium supply - all of which passes through Russia when exported.

19 posted on 09/29/2022 10:50:24 PM PDT by PGR88
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To: SeekAndFind

Good luck with restoring the particularly complex industry. Are they going to hire Russians or French to make it work? The Americans who knew a thing or two are probably senile due to old age. Maybe Iranians or Norks?


20 posted on 09/29/2022 11:27:59 PM PDT by NorseViking
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