Why the U.S. Buys So Much Nuclear Fuel From Russia | WSJ
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- čas přidán 28. 05. 2024
- U.S. nuclear power plants got about 24% of their enriched uranium from Russia in 2022. Nuclear energy is staging a comeback as demand continues to rise to meet clean energy goals, but the U.S. currently lacks sufficient capacity to turn raw uranium into nuclear fuel.
WSJ takes a look at how the U.S. is reviving domestic production of nuclear fuel to lessen its dependence on Moscow.
Chapters:
0:00 Nuclear power
0:36 Uranium supply chain, explained
1:52 How the U.S. is ramping up domestic capacity
4:14 Why Russia dominates
4:50 Funding
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#Nuclear #Russia #WSJ
Hypocrisy at its very best. White House press secretary Jen Psaki asked India ‘Which side of history do you want to be on?’ when questioned about India buying discounted Russian oil.
Exactly. USA be like- “rules for thee but not for me”
*The discount is just pre-sanction price!!!*
*Which is way higher than Pre covid price!*
*Thanks to the sanctions, the price of crude has touched the historic roof*
- *"Jen Psaki asked India ‘Which side of history do you want to be on?’"*
Not on nazi side.
a world based on rules... American rules. ☝
not on colonialist side@@SpaceA.
Im gonna summarise the video for people - Basically russia has control over the supply chain of uranium and all the manufacturing capabilities of refining uranium so it can sell to usa for cheap. But usa lacks the required manufacturing industry for refining uranium. But since times are hard and usa wants to stop depending on russia,the federal government is planning to provide incentives to corporates to invest in the nuclear energy industry so they can get enough manufacturing capability to refine uranium
I don't get the problem here. Because of our irrational hate of Russia, we want to diversify from them? That's so stupid. We should let the free market determine what's needed. If nuclear is good, the free market will create that demand in the United States.
Not profitable for corporations to invest in longterm.
An addition to your summary. The US had a thriving mining, conversion, enriching, and fabrication industry but through political ineptitudes and the US government subsidizing Russia’s industry (yes, we subsidize Russia’s nuclear industry), we lost that capability.
@@bigbuilder10 Globalization. Cheaper. To outsource. Americans don't want dirty mining jobs.
Thank you for saving us time
Funny how the USA depends for their energy (nuclear fuel) on Russia. But complaining about Europe for doing the same for their energy needs (gas).
RULES for the not for me the empire
Well Russia doesn't have monopoly on America's energy needs or supply chain!
Funny how both USA and Europe loves complaining about India buying oil from Russia.
The comparison is not entirely appropriate . Europe has not sanctioned nuclear fuel from Russia either. Whereas the USA has sanctioned gas and oil from Russia.
Both are idiotic policies. Energy and food independence asap for the west.
Europe is dependend on Russias gas and oil, and the US preasured them to stop buying. A good part of the world is dependend on Russias grain, fertiliser etc, and the US imposed sancions on them too. And the US is dependend on Russias nuclear fuel, and there are no sanctions on this 😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Russia uses energy as a weapon. US uses money and sanctions on trade.
😂😂😂
The law is for you, not for me. A bunch of hypocrites =))
Because the mission is to sell Europe LNG in tankers for much higher prices then they would get here in the states.
Where are the sanctions against Russia ?
Nowhere because many places in Europe would literally be out of power without the option of nuclear power too.
@@SuperCatacata
So the politic of sanction is a big lie.
Why should I pay more for my gas liquid in Europe ? It is not my war.
Rosatom basically does every step in-house
Its hilarious when people refer to not selling someone something as "weaponising" it 😂😂😂
Its exactly the same as when you choose not to buy something from someone 🥴🤦♂️
We have weaponised everything from food to energy too, so whats the point in trying to cry about it as if you have a right to do something to someone that another doesn't have the same right to do to you.
The funny thing is that Russia hasn't refused to sell anything. It's the west sanctioning themselves from buying Russian energy then turned around and accused Russia of energy blackmail.. Smh
We have weaponised everything from food to energy too, so whats the point in trying to cry about it as if you have a right to do something to someone that another doesn't have the same right to do to you. You have made a valid point.
They want to motivate us ‘muricans to want to go into Russia and “take out Putin” to get our grubby paws on the sweet and savory as well as plentiful resources from within. They don’t think we know when we’re being manipulated. That’s why they use certain language, basically to manipulate, in this case for a war the elites will get wealthy from but will kill all of us. I guess back in the day most didn’t question these things, you can make the case and say these WSJ zio-globalists are still stuck, “back in the day.”
The law is for you, not for me. A bunch of hypocrites
@@Davik.N It is part of American 's DNA.
That’s why the US is trying to secure its position in Niger.
As of December 14th 2023 the current regime in Niger and their relation with Russia is making the US nervous
That's irrelevant. Niger does not produce enriched uranium which is what this piece is about. The shortage is for enriched uranium, not the raw mineral.
@@masong8332 no produce, pero puede enviar a paises que si produzcan
@@masong8332 Mine uranium, is an rare mineral.
@@anxel- There is no shortage of raw uranium. It is about as rare as lead. This issue is enrichment capacity.
@masong8332 there is a shortage not short-term but long-term because Kazakhstan uranium mining is controlled by Russia&China and over a 100 nuclear power plant are unde construction/planned
If America has been unable to enrich uranium up to 5% for nuclear reactors since 2013, how does it enrich weapons grade uranium (90%) for nuclear weapons? Has it just been refurbishing cold war nuclear warheads for a decade? Insane that the country that built the atom bomb is unable to do so currently due to privatisation.....
There are enrichment facilities in other NATO countries as well. They said it in the video.
@@holysong2099, so US nuclear arms fully depend on supply from other countries?
Enrichment of uranium is not that hard.
@@jovancleanseMost supplies for anything come from other countries other than the united states.😂😅😂
@@jovancleansebecause they use dollars.
Thanks again WSJ! Great reporting!
It is the USA which uses Sanction as a weapon not Russia.
US is incredibly willing to use dollar as a weapon
You would be too if the Ruble was worth anything. its called leverage, like oil or gas
@@icu17siberia the problem is it’s useless once you use it. everyone is very wary of using U.S dollars now. China uses RNMBI the EU uses Euros and nobody is using dollars that the pre war rate anymore and it will further decline.
And they talk about why sanctions failed
😂😂
Hypocrisy
Russia is using energy as a weapon. Isn’t the west who banned Russian energy 😂😂😂
"There is no nuclear fuel cycle without government support"...which is where the US made itself dependent on Russia while (still rightfully) mocking Europe's dependency on Russia's gas and oil industry. Interdependency used to be a good thing in a well regulated world, it's a shame we're moving away from that.
Interesting to learn👍
I read the title of the material and took it as a question. I answer based on my own experience and knowledge: American capitalism (not to be confused with Russian, Chinese or Arab) has brought the country to the point where it is no longer profitable to refine uranium or plunium. Despite the fact that Western civilization already uses the cheapest method of enrichment possible - the centrifuge. Soviet Russia invested heavily in enrichment filtration conveyors, which over generations made the best quality Russian uranium the cheapest. Then everything happened according to the laws of capitalism - whoever can offer lower costs for the buyer sells his goods. So here are two conditions that made the United States completely dependent on Putin’s uranium:
1) Complete degradation of the US nuclear industry.
2) Higher quality and cheaper Russian uranium.
I suggest it was *never* profitable to refine uranium or plutonium. Nuclear has required enormous subsidy and support in every nation. In the US, the decline has been a bit more obvious, whereas in Russia and China they can simply make it a state secret. Comparisons are harder because they deliberately separated internal and external currency.
@@aaroncosier735 You think so because only Russia has second-generation industrial fast neutron reactors. These reactors convert any nuclear waste from any technology into clean electricity. Unfortunately, the US and EU have completely lost nuclear competence. You can buy a couple of these reactors from Russia and use your country's nuclear waste to generate energy at a large profit.
Sanction Russia and then blame them for not supplying 😮
If the companies won't mine without the federal government paying for infrastructure and subsiding the mine before paying again for the end-product, why not just nationalise it?
Because the US lowkey doesn't like its people but bows to mega corporations.
because politicians wonot get kickback then
That's anti capitalism
Abandon nuclear. Too expensive. Creating demand for nuclear fuel helps support russian nuclear industries, either directly or indirectly.
Have you been to your local DMV recently?
1:40 "We've seen that Russia is willing to use its energy resources as a tool of leverage." That's a funny way of saying we rely on Russia for energy. Russia isn't doing any leveraging but selling it.
Did Russia try to use Europe's energy dependence on it as a diplomatic tool after the invasion, when the world was considering sanctions?
@@Norsilca Europe is still buying Russian oil, it's just being laundered through India now. Russia never stopped selling it. Russia also never imposed sanctions on Europe or America.
@@yojimbo3681 Alright, you didn't answer my question; fair enough, I googled it myself. Russia cut off much of its natural gas to Europe in 2022. This is clearly what the video was referring to. It obviously is leveraging it, not just selling it.
@@Norsilca If it's natural gas you were talking about, didn't the US blow up Nordstream? They first said it was Russia, then changed their story to a "Pro-Ukrainian Group". That's a pretty big change in story for the world's finest intelligence organization.
@@NorsilcaDude you blew up their pipeline, enforce a price tag on their products and you want them to happily abide to all that bullshits? And then when they don’t you have the audacity to accuse them of leveraging? More like they're adapting.
Fascinating!
If USD can be weaponized then why energy can't? Should look at the mirror ..😂😅
Energy *is* weaponised. The more nuclear, the more russia's nuclear programme is paid for by other countries, including the US.
The US and EU banned many kinds of fuel from Russia and then accused Russia for use fuel as a weapon against them. I mean, you just pushed yourself to dead end and played the victims while Russia watched u playing
Hypocrisy of Us who lectures others shamelessly
The answer is simple: Profit. The day it will become unprofitable again, all these mines will close once more.
Go green, they said. It'd be fun, they said.
"Russia will use energy as a weapons". So, you cut off their right hand and complain they pull back their left hand? 🤡😂
The WSJ should do a comparison video on Canada's nuclear program vs the US and tell me which one is infinitely superior and war proof... As you as you can dig up some dirt with natural uranium in it, CANDU can work. It can also run on Thorium as well... And of course refueling can be done while the core is running with CANDU tech hence why it's the most durable reactors on the planet...
Kudos to Russia for being lenient on the US. It can easily hurt the US with this but it decided not to because it will hurt ordinary people more than the politicians misgoverning the country
Very informative
How do you make this video and not mentioned we sold 20% or our Uranium assets to Russia w Uranium One??
On Hillary’s watch, followed shortly by a contribution to a certain fund….?
A sale approved by Sec. of State Clinton that benefited acClinton Foundation donor. Then sold to Rosatom.
Strange deal. But suspect at best.
- Matt’s dad Dan
We shouldn't sanction the US or ban exports, but we should ask for rubles or yuan for the uranium, since the US dollar is now toxic currency and we can't use it anyway.
Why did WSJ add Crimea as a part of Russia?
Because it is, just as Kosovo is Serbia, Crimea is Russia. Maybe all of Europe is Russia? Except!! Except Kosovo, because that my dude is Serbia. Next!
And Germany shuts down the nuclear reactors. What stupidity.
And they turn all their eyes blind after the US blew up the Nord Stream pipeline.
Look at the Comments..., And we know how many people feel "Fu*cked Up* by US/ Western Double Standard & Hypocrisy 😂😂
can't you get it from australia?
Because the USA demolished (rather than mothball) not one, but TWO partially completed centrifuge based Uranium enrichment plants at a cost of billions of dollars. So now we have no native uranium enrichment capacity other than a small facility set up in the southwest by a European company.
US has 1800s infrastructure.
No one skilled in running it.... 😂😂😂😂
So why havent they done it now when they got a clear upper hand?
2:35 Can anyone explain why there is a dog in the mineshaft? Seems dangerous unless he serves some safety role?
That's a normal day in. American
stoopid joke...
Sanction? what sanction???
The key word there is 'cheap'
No respirator? Are you kidding me! 😷
WSJ 😃
Russia has never used energy as a weapon. We comply with all contracts.
The grid is extremely expensive.
If you are replacing all fossil fuels with nuclear electricity, then you need a bigger capacity national electrical grid.
Nobody talks about how insanely expensive the grid was to build and maintain.
And a grid 5 times bigger ??? Hello 👋 hello anyone home, hello 👋.
Ahahahah America is a joke man, still supporting Russia
Great Information
Here is the thing there is a vast deposit of natural uranium enough to provide the world's needs for uranium for the next 200 years in Scotland. Specifically South Ayrshire with the reserves stretching as far inland as the silver, rhodium and platinum reserves near the leadhills. The reserve only being discovered after a radiation survey carried out after the Windscale reactor fire. As far as mining operations are concerned there is existing infrastructure and ore handling and processing facilities which have been mothballed.
You don't have the skilled people in America for full scale production.....
Got plenty of extra weapons grade to be diluted with low enriched and depleted.
So the US/ the West hope Russia not weaponizing it's Export, while imposing Sanction at the same time 😂..., and BLAME everyrhing to Russia for ALL your mistake...
😅
The U.S. sourcing a significant amount of nuclear fuel from Russia raises legitimate concerns about energy security. It's essential for policymakers to address this issue strategically to safeguard national interests.
You are right but if you look from russia's perspective they wouldnt want to tamper with it since ut would be bad for their business. Think about it. Lets say they tamper with it and usa findd out. That would shut down business which would be a loss for russia too
Russia wants the money
@Sir_Vantage European unions Countries the most buyer of Russian gas, America is just over charged because their are stupid.
Building better future nuclear power plants would solve this problem entirely and save money.
Because enrichment is complicated, expensive, and unnecessary. Canadian CANDU nuclear reactors use natural uranium concentrate (yellowcake) as fuel. Meaning the fuel is both safer, cheaper, and fully domestically sourced and produced. American reactors are generally older, require richer fuel, and are harder to operate.
@anirudhnarla4711 True but that's not enough. We should've been ready by now
No entiendo la geopolitica,le vende uranio enriquecido para sus portaviones,y misiles nucleares,igual para sus plantas nucleoelectricas,a su enemigo #1.?
Enrichment is complicated, expensive, and unnecessary. Canadian CANDU nuclear reactors use natural uranium concentrate (yellowcake) as fuel. Meaning the fuel is both safer, cheaper, and fully domestically sourced and produced. American reactors are generally older, require richer fuel, and are harder to operate.
Put simply, building better (CANDU) future nuclear power plants would solve this problem entirely and save money.
the tax, safety and environment regulations in western countries make drilling for oil and any kind of mining a many times more expensive than in russia or the middle east where such things do not exists or they r not enforced
What else can be expected from the global bullies and thugs than hypocrisy.
But, But ...Sanctions , bro ?? - hypocrisy at its finest. LOL ;)
As Lula said Ukraine should make a deal with Russia. No nato on Russian back.
Allowed the US to be energy dependent on others.. ??
They included Crimea on the thumbnail
You work mining thats and old their 😢
u.s. astronauts cant fly up 2 space w/ out the help from Russia 🤘🇷🇺
Hope that I’m not mistaken:
Part perhaps as to why the US depend on Russian Mined, Controlled, & Sold Uranium Fuel- is that majority of the world’s Uranium Mine & its Operations, were controlled, owned, and operated by Russia- EVEN IF THE FACT IS, majority of those Russian Operated Uranium Mines ARE LOCATED OUTSIDE of the Russian Federation- if not the Former Landmass of the Soviet Union…
*Based on a New York Times International Weekly Headline, published bet. 2014 to 2017, respectively.
**FURTHERMORE:
To ensure that Hostile- Terrorist Nations like China & Russia WOULD NEVER Weaponize Global Energy Supply & Demand: the United States & its Allied Nations- must always remain vigilant and their checks & balances intact- to ensure that NONE OF THESE Nations will Manage, Control, and Benefit any Uranium Mine & Fuel Enrichment Companies Located within any of the US- Allied Nations
Bout time, arriva jeffrey city---Ahua!
Do not forget that the Russian uranium enrichment technology is several times cheaper than any other.So the construction of new enrichment plants in the west and the cessation of supplies from Russia will raise prices for enriched uranium.
Why doesn't America simply build molten-fuel nuclear reactors that enrich thorium, turning thorium into burnable uranium fuel, and that fuel can then be used to power the reactor itself? This technology was used by America in the 1960s in a small test reactor and it worked without any serious problems (metal enbrittlement was the only problem they had, but we have solved that problem with new technology). So just go ahead and build them, what's the delay?
Because molten-fuel reactors are not feasible with current materials. Insofar as a couple of experimental reactors were used to test aspects of the basic principle, these could only operate for a few thousand hours. To operate a commercial reactor for twenty years it will need to be built from materials that simply do not exist yet.
Metal embrittlement remains a problem for all reactors. Molten salt reactors face the additional challenge of corrosion from fuel salts and fission products.
Insofar as the 60's reactors were a "success" at demonstrating operation as a once-off (yes, fission is possible, yes breeding can happen), there is no no data to say that such a reactor would actually operate well long term, that the ratios of fuel to products would remain within usable boundaries, or that power production would be consistent.
They are not being built because they are not yet feasible beyond small, temporary experimental systems.
The premise that you can trust your trading partners to be friends and act morally is baseless.
😅 last week 5 of F16 destroyed by russian kinzal missile as well 8 of petriot system 😅 in Ukraine 😅
Клоун
A superpower 😂😂😂😂😂😅
Why does America refuse to buy more Uranium ore from Australia?
The issue highlighted in this piece isn't raw uranium, it is enriched uranium. There is no shortage of the raw mineral
Por eso Russia tiene el apoyo del resto del mundo. Tiene que cambiar el orden mundial, el cambio ya comenzo y el mundo esta esperando una nueva etapa de la humanidad. FUERTA RUSIA EL MUNDO LOS APOYA !!
" not much , about 1 billion $ business per year , only for uranium " plus etc...😂
What is that dog doing inside a uranium mine?
Uranium ore is only dangerous to be near when it's processed / being extracted. When it is dormant, the radiation particles from it can't break through skin. The dog is perfectly safe, as are the humans. Once extraction begins, they would have to wear protective gear as the dust particles that are made during extraction are dangerous to breathe in. The mine in this video is not yet active, so it's relatively safe for people and the dog to walk around in.
That is Atomo the Atomic Dog, scourge of evil doers everywhere
Still now days? That's contradictory. Lol
Why is the Moroccan border always dashed around? Is it not enough that the Algerian government stole enough? Fix these trash maps.
😅😅😅....because state depart., or some officials did not pay much attention to this really critical matter. A big country to rely to others for supply a critical economic segment, hope not military segment, God knows !
The US just loves to outsource everything in sight.
And then complain when supposedly essential capabilities are in the control of other nations: High end CPUs, PV silicon, nuclear fuel, oil.
No body should surprised wht he sees here. US 😅
And they were talking about India 😂😂😂 double standards west😅
Why get along with others and trade freely when you can war, tariff, sanction, seize, embargo, war against, fund wars against, name call, etc
You should be able to comment on live videos
The US has plenty of uranium but due to burdensome environmental laws, regulations (endless permitting process), endless litigation and NIMBY, the US can't mine and refine uranium and has to import many metals, minerals and RE's need for power generation and batteries.
Truth....most people outside the US don't get that. Russians don't mind doing it, they little but natural resource and they don't care how they extract those resources. So, let them do it as long as they're willing.
The U.S. wants a friendly REE supply chain so U.S. companies are partnering with Australian ones to process Australian ores into finished products. This is underway now. Not sure why the same is not happening with uranium ore/yellowcake if there is a scarcity in the U.S. since mining uranium is not controversial here and has been going on for decades. Plus we have the largest deposits in the world. Australia has no enrichment capabilities beyond making yellowcake though.
If the U S and its allies keep buying nuclear fuels and other commodities from Russia, how the Ukrianians are able to fight the war and win against the invaders.
Ruasia should sell at 100x higher....😂
Now, Russian economy is boombing in Europe, but the rest of Europe is not/
Uranium mining is a dirty business and if you can import the nuclear fuel cheaper from abroad, than producing it yourself, you import it. Than the environmental damage will be elsewhere but not in your country.
Do you mean that environmental pollution takes into account the political map of the world?
$60 billion to Ukraine only $2 billion to US enough said.
Lol you use dollar as a weapon. It's only fair
Let me guess. Is it because we are stupid and behind technologically? Or maybe, we can't compete on PRICE?
Its vise, for dark time,
so you're telling me i had to lower the temperature in my home last year because for the sake of national interest and freedom the emperor decided to turn the nordstream into an expensive jacuzzi but when it comes to the national interest of who has the power, well thats another story of course... you are free to safeguard the legitimate national interest
Nothing new here people,its just the US being the US/ hypocrisy at its best😂😂😂😂😂
I dont understand why US never made a closed fuel system. It will greatly reduce the amount it need to import 🤷🤷🤷
Can't have everything, especially in technology and sanctions, don't work in today's economy. America is no longer superpowers in the world 50s to 80s.
Because that would cost enormously more for only partial success. The existing reactor fleet is designed to burn uranium fuel. Some reactors can tolerate a percentage of MOX fuel. Spent MOX fuel has longer cooling requirements, requires lower density disposal, and is more expensive to reprocess.
There is no closed fuel cycle *anywhere*.
@@aaroncosier735 All of EU and Japan have closed cycle there is no political will in us to build
@@floopybits8037
No they don't. They have similar reactors to everywhere else. Most spent fuel remains in temporary storage. The reprocessed wastes are not returned to the fuel cycle. The fission products require encapsulation and disposal, and the leftover plutonium is just a proliferation risk. Very little gets used in MOX fuels, and used MOX fuel is even harder to manage.
I repeat: there is no closed fuel cycle available.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻😊😊😊
5:10 if this wasn't about The Playlist and the musicians getting payed more than 12 euros a month. This metal sheet inspired us to customize how break calipers look. If this fails expand more on renewables, but problem is somehow you never have money for that as a calculator with sun batteries to say I'm annoyed to see this S.T.A.L.K.E.R and Cossacks playing Ukraine never accepting the peace or that official Join EU invitation, which is some how keeping some people unemployed well because of having a Kaunas Blaster office somebody wishes having this facility build fr their work. It may be true, but I doubt you ever changing your soviet inheritance farming.. So as a future president wish to not have such empty promises not discussing any VSCode or Atom with a parliament. Don't you want more understandable music 0:35?
the desperation comes from the western dictator is real
If it was not for the African National Congress government in South Africa, you could source your Uranium from South Africa.
Majority of Uranium in South Africa comes from Namibia 🤦♂️🤦♂️
We don't produce any duh
Russia really shouldn't sell anything to the US, or thair allies at all, especially not products that could be used against them.
The economy of scale that Russia has is something to benefit from