URÁN – dopyt po energii vzrastá
Predpokladá sa, že medzi rokmi 2008 a 2030 produkcia elektriny vzrastie o 60%. Táto skutočnosť ovplyvní aj dopyt po uráne.
The global demand for electricity is soaring. The overall world generation of electricity is expected to increase by 60 percent between 2008 and 2030.
These increases can be achieved only by the rapid construction of new generating stations, and a significant number of these new stations will be nuclear plants fueled with uranium.
The world has 440 nuclear reactors in operation, 29 under construction, 30 on order and 320 proposed. Also, there are hundreds of nuclear-powered naval vessels and research reactors in operation. In the next 15 years, China plans to build 40 new nuclear plants and Japan expects 10 more by 2010.
To fuel this growing dependence on nuclear power, the uranium mining industry must significantly increase its annual production and processing of uranium ore. The world produces approximately 108 million pounds of yellowcake uranium annually, but in 2007, consumed an estimated 178 million pounds.
Of the material mined, more than 50 percent of uranium now comes from mines in Canada, Australia and Southern Africa, with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia producing most of the rest. A U.S. and Russian agreement that supplies fuel from decommissioned nuclear weapons ends in 2013 and could leave a large hole to fill in terms of supply. Therefore, the race is on among nations to lock in sufficient fuel supplies from these various sources for future needs.
Likewise, the U.S. consumes about 60 million pounds yearly, yet U.S. mines produced less than 5 million pounds in 2006. The shortfall comes from a declining inventory.
Zdroj:uraniumseek.com
03.03.2008