Abstract
Concurrent with the recognition that nuclear generated electricity must play an increasing role in worldwide energy supply and in consideration of the new nuclear power plants ordered or planned, the demand for uranium needed to fuel these reactors has already outpaced supplies. Accordingly, the price of uranium (typically expressed as US$ per pound U{sub 3}O{sub 8} equivalent) had increased significantly in recent years. As a result, numerous new and reconstituted uranium recovery projects are being developed in the United States and in other countries that possess considerable uranium ore reserves (e.g., Canada, Australia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Namibia, and others). It should be noted that in the United States, the current reactor fleet of 104 operating units, which generate 20 percent of the US’s base-load electricity, requires approximately 55 million pounds of U{sub 3}O{sub 8} per year, but only about 4–5 million pounds per year is produced domestically. That is, over 90 percent of current demand, ignoring anticipated increase in requirements in the near future as new plants come online, must come from foreign sources. Domestic uranium production over the last 10 years reached a low of about two million pounds in 2003 and has been increasing steadily since then. Uranium recovery
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Brown, S.H., E-mail: sbrown@senes.ca
[1]
- SENES, Englewood, CO (United States)
Citation Formats
Brown, S.H., E-mail: sbrown@senes.ca.
The Uranium Recovery Industry and the Current Nuclear Renaissance — A Health Physicists Perspective.
IAEA: N. p.,
2014.
Web.
Brown, S.H., E-mail: sbrown@senes.ca.
The Uranium Recovery Industry and the Current Nuclear Renaissance — A Health Physicists Perspective.
IAEA.
Brown, S.H., E-mail: sbrown@senes.ca.
2014.
"The Uranium Recovery Industry and the Current Nuclear Renaissance — A Health Physicists Perspective."
IAEA.
@misc{etde_22320783,
title = {The Uranium Recovery Industry and the Current Nuclear Renaissance — A Health Physicists Perspective}
author = {Brown, S.H., E-mail: sbrown@senes.ca}
abstractNote = {Concurrent with the recognition that nuclear generated electricity must play an increasing role in worldwide energy supply and in consideration of the new nuclear power plants ordered or planned, the demand for uranium needed to fuel these reactors has already outpaced supplies. Accordingly, the price of uranium (typically expressed as US$ per pound U{sub 3}O{sub 8} equivalent) had increased significantly in recent years. As a result, numerous new and reconstituted uranium recovery projects are being developed in the United States and in other countries that possess considerable uranium ore reserves (e.g., Canada, Australia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Namibia, and others). It should be noted that in the United States, the current reactor fleet of 104 operating units, which generate 20 percent of the US’s base-load electricity, requires approximately 55 million pounds of U{sub 3}O{sub 8} per year, but only about 4–5 million pounds per year is produced domestically. That is, over 90 percent of current demand, ignoring anticipated increase in requirements in the near future as new plants come online, must come from foreign sources. Domestic uranium production over the last 10 years reached a low of about two million pounds in 2003 and has been increasing steadily since then. Uranium recovery as defined in this paper encompasses conventional uranium mining and milling as well as in situ recovery techniques and the recovery of uranium as a byproduct from other processes, such as phosphoric acid production. Following a brief history of uranium recovery in the US, the paper describes the basic methods and technologies associated with conventional uranium mining, conventional uranium milling and In Situ Recovery (ISR). The “health physicists perspective” is introduced into these discussions by providing summaries of the various radiological environmental monitoring and operational health physics programs that are required for these facilities. Applicable regulatory guidance and associated “best health physics practices” developed at these facilities are described. Finally, the paper concludes with discussions of recent and current trends in human capital as related to the availability of health physicists and other radiological scientists required to replace and aging workforce and staff the “ nuclear renaissance”. (author)}
place = {IAEA}
year = {2014}
month = {May}
}
title = {The Uranium Recovery Industry and the Current Nuclear Renaissance — A Health Physicists Perspective}
author = {Brown, S.H., E-mail: sbrown@senes.ca}
abstractNote = {Concurrent with the recognition that nuclear generated electricity must play an increasing role in worldwide energy supply and in consideration of the new nuclear power plants ordered or planned, the demand for uranium needed to fuel these reactors has already outpaced supplies. Accordingly, the price of uranium (typically expressed as US$ per pound U{sub 3}O{sub 8} equivalent) had increased significantly in recent years. As a result, numerous new and reconstituted uranium recovery projects are being developed in the United States and in other countries that possess considerable uranium ore reserves (e.g., Canada, Australia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Namibia, and others). It should be noted that in the United States, the current reactor fleet of 104 operating units, which generate 20 percent of the US’s base-load electricity, requires approximately 55 million pounds of U{sub 3}O{sub 8} per year, but only about 4–5 million pounds per year is produced domestically. That is, over 90 percent of current demand, ignoring anticipated increase in requirements in the near future as new plants come online, must come from foreign sources. Domestic uranium production over the last 10 years reached a low of about two million pounds in 2003 and has been increasing steadily since then. Uranium recovery as defined in this paper encompasses conventional uranium mining and milling as well as in situ recovery techniques and the recovery of uranium as a byproduct from other processes, such as phosphoric acid production. Following a brief history of uranium recovery in the US, the paper describes the basic methods and technologies associated with conventional uranium mining, conventional uranium milling and In Situ Recovery (ISR). The “health physicists perspective” is introduced into these discussions by providing summaries of the various radiological environmental monitoring and operational health physics programs that are required for these facilities. Applicable regulatory guidance and associated “best health physics practices” developed at these facilities are described. Finally, the paper concludes with discussions of recent and current trends in human capital as related to the availability of health physicists and other radiological scientists required to replace and aging workforce and staff the “ nuclear renaissance”. (author)}
place = {IAEA}
year = {2014}
month = {May}
}