US Energy Secretary "Hopes for Self-Supply of Nuclear Fuel"... Uranium Dependence on Russia Still High

"Will Establish Uranium Strategy"... Hopes for Supply Chain Restructuring
Over 50% of Uranium Imported from Russia and Former Soviet Regions

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The U.S. government has expressed its desire to secure uranium, the primary fuel for nuclear power generation, domestically and announced plans to actively implement a uranium strategy to reorganize the supply chain. Despite sanctions against Russia, the U.S. still imports about 50% of its uranium from Russia and former Soviet countries, raising security concerns.

According to the Associated Press on the 26th (local time), Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Secretary of Energy, stated at the '21st Century Nuclear Energy Ministerial Meeting' hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) held in Washington, D.C., "The United States wants to procure nuclear fuel domestically, and that is why we are establishing a uranium strategy." She added, "We are working to ensure that reactors in the U.S. and partner countries are clearly supplied with fuel."

Secretary Granholm explained, "The U.S. believes nuclear power is an important part of our long-term energy sector," and "We are prepared to maintain and modernize nuclear power plants and plan to develop a safe and diverse supply chain for nuclear fuel." She continued, "Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted countries to reassess critical supply chains, including the energy sector," emphasizing, "The U.S. is ready to serve as a responsible and reliable nuclear supplier to allies in the international community. The U.S. is a partner that upholds the highest standards of nuclear safety and security."

These remarks are interpreted as indicating a significant reduction in dependence on Russia through increased domestic production and supply chain reorganization with allied countries concerning uranium, which still has a high reliance on Russia.

Meanwhile, although the U.S. has banned imports of Russian crude oil and gas following sanctions against Russia, it still imports more than 50% of uranium, the main fuel for nuclear power plants, from Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and other countries. Uranium imports have not yet been included in the list of banned items under the sanctions against Russia.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.