IPFS News Link • Russia
Russia controls more than 45% of the world's Uranium enrichment capacity. ...
• https://www.lewrockwell.comLost in all of this talk about the U.S. Congress adding sanctions onto Russia is Russia's unique placement in the world's Uranium industry. So much focus is placed on its Oil and Gas industry (and specifically the share of its exports) that it blinds our analysis to the how strong Russia's position in world nuclear power is.
And, so, John McCain can grandstand all he wants about how Russia is nothing more than a "gas station masquerading as a country" what he doesn't want to admit to himself or the world is that Russia is more central to the world's uranium fuel market than Saudi Arabia ever was to the crude oil market.
Russia's power in this industry doesn't come from its production of Uranium Oxide (U3O8 or yellowcake) it comes from owning 45% of the world's enrichment capacity into a usable fuel. Russia only produces around 3,000 tons of U3O8 annually.
Kazakhstan is the world's largest producer of yellowcake with the world's largest reserves. Do you seriously think Kazakhstan, one of Russia's strongest allies, is going to go it alone in one of its major industries if the new Cold War between the U.S. and Russia intensifies further?
I have two words for you. Hell and No.
Canada's Athcabasca Basin in Saskatchewan has been instrumental in expanding world yellowcake supply in recent years. But, that's not changing the dynamics of the industry, it's just keeping Urainium prices depressed.
SWUs Trump SJWs
Because, the issue isn't ore production but turning that ore into usable fuel, called Single Work Units (SWU). And the U.S. and Canada are not interested in refining Uranium due to environmental policy. I've heard nothing from the Trump administration on this either, so, nothing is going to change in a way to affect current or fear future events.