America is reviving the nuclear fuel industry to enhance energy security

During his visit to Paris last week, US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright announced ambitious plans aimed at revitalizing nuclear fuel supplies in the United States.

These plans include establishing a partnership with the French company “Urano” to contribute to the establishment of a new uranium enrichment facility in the state of Tennessee. However, implementing this project at the required speed still faces major challenges, most notably the lack of sufficient coordination between the concerned parties, which hinders accelerating the pace of work.

If this project is successful, it will send a strong message of reassurance to developers of advanced nuclear reactors, stating that these reactors will not be subject to disruption when they start operating due to a lack of fuel. It can also contribute to directing political and economic support to address an old controversy that has long affected the nuclear industry, centered around nuclear waste.

Several decades ago, the United States led the world in the production of enriched uranium, which it used to operate its nuclear reactors. However, this industry witnessed a noticeable decline for various political reasons, which led to Washington gradually relinquishing its control over nuclear fuel supplies to other countries.

After the end of the Cold War, the United States became increasingly dependent on Russia to supply it with the enriched uranium necessary to operate its reactors, until the US Congress in 2024 banned the import of this fuel from Moscow.

Fragile situation

Although this decision seems logical from a security standpoint, it left the American nuclear energy market in a fragile and vulnerable position. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that the United States has only one commercial enrichment facility, while the company operating it is based in the United Kingdom, which reflects limited national control over this vital sector.

In addition, there is the Centrus company, which was previously under the management of the US government, and is capable of producing a specific type of highly enriched uranium needed to operate advanced nuclear reactors, but its production capacity is still limited, and not sufficient to meet the expected demand.

Strategic issue

Therefore, rebuilding the capabilities of the United States in the field of commercial uranium enrichment represents a very important strategic issue, especially in light of the increasing demand for nuclear energy and the increasing number of reactors operating to produce electricity. Advanced and innovative reactor projects have attracted billions of dollars in investments, including investments from major technology companies such as Google and Amazon. These companies seek to secure reliable energy sources to support the accelerating boom in the field of artificial intelligence, which requires enormous and stable electrical capabilities.

Minister Wright’s move to seek help from France appears to be a deliberate step, as Paris has significant experience in the technology of reprocessing spent nuclear fuel and converting it into fuel usable again. Contrary to popular belief, nuclear waste is not worthless. Even after remaining for years inside reactors, it retains about 90% of its potential energy.

Orano’s facilities have been able to recycle approximately 40,000 metric tons of waste since the start of operations, a volume equivalent to approximately half the amount of fuel used by nuclear reactors assembled in the United States.

The role of politics

However, politics played an obstructing role in the past. The late US President Jimmy Carter banned the reprocessing of nuclear fuel out of concern about the spread of nuclear weapons. The late President Ronald Reagan later reversed this decision, but recycling never really took off, largely due to economic considerations, as nuclear companies saw the use of new uranium as more feasible than recycling spent fuel.

Today, with the significant increase in global demand for uranium, companies are beginning to reconsider the feasibility of recycling nuclear fuel. Last year, the startup Oklo announced plans to establish the first private nuclear waste recycling facility in the United States, in a move that may represent an important shift in the course of the industry.

However, even if recycling efforts are successful, the United States will still need a stable source of raw uranium. Canada, the world’s second-largest uranium producer, can play a pivotal role in meeting the needs of American reactors. However, political tensions, including the positions of President Donald Trump and his tough statements towards the northern neighbor, added more complexity to this issue.

About the Washington Post

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Positive step

The US administration’s initiative to rehabilitate the issue of nuclear fuel represents a positive step, reflecting an awareness of the importance of this strategic sector. Without a stable and sustainable fuel supply chain, the promise of nuclear innovation may be dashed, and hopes for nuclear energy as a cornerstone of the United States’ energy future may diminish.

. France has significant experience in the technology of reprocessing spent nuclear fuel and converting it into fuel usable again.