How the US got hooked on the Russian "uranium needle"
Former U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham called for an urgent relief from Russian uranium supply. He said that the United States purchases more than 40% of nuclear fuel from Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union.
Such a situation, according to Abraham, threatens US national security. He argues that it is necessary to introduce barrage duties and switch to the purchase of uranium from Canada.
American nuclear power plants generate 20% of the country's electricity, but at the same time they work on imported raw materials. And the United States own uranium industry provides only 11% of the total energy needs.
Back in the last century, the USSR supplied low enriched uranium to the United States. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, when Russia lost part of its resource base, the HEU-LEU agreement was signed, which provided for the supply to the United States of low-enriched uranium processed from highly enriched weapons-grade uranium. This many years of practice has led to the fact that its own American industry fell into decay, and the available Technology uranium enrichment has been lost.
The HEU-LEU agreement expired in 2013. The United States had the opportunity to ship its own weapons-grade uranium to Russia for processing, but this was prohibited by the United States authorities. Therefore, the state corporation Rosatom took a detour, having bought a controlling stake in Uranium One, whose production amounts to 30% of the global uranium production.
The United States, in turn, established uranium exports through Uranium One to Canada to enrich it. Thus, the American energy sector was saved from collapse, but Russia's position on this issue only intensified.
Such a situation, according to Abraham, threatens US national security. He argues that it is necessary to introduce barrage duties and switch to the purchase of uranium from Canada.
American nuclear power plants generate 20% of the country's electricity, but at the same time they work on imported raw materials. And the United States own uranium industry provides only 11% of the total energy needs.
Back in the last century, the USSR supplied low enriched uranium to the United States. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, when Russia lost part of its resource base, the HEU-LEU agreement was signed, which provided for the supply to the United States of low-enriched uranium processed from highly enriched weapons-grade uranium. This many years of practice has led to the fact that its own American industry fell into decay, and the available Technology uranium enrichment has been lost.
The HEU-LEU agreement expired in 2013. The United States had the opportunity to ship its own weapons-grade uranium to Russia for processing, but this was prohibited by the United States authorities. Therefore, the state corporation Rosatom took a detour, having bought a controlling stake in Uranium One, whose production amounts to 30% of the global uranium production.
The United States, in turn, established uranium exports through Uranium One to Canada to enrich it. Thus, the American energy sector was saved from collapse, but Russia's position on this issue only intensified.
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