Kazakhstan's Uranium Renaissance

摘要

The global economy's need to replace conventional energy sources - coal, oil and natural gas - is becoming increasingly pressing. Nuclear power is definitely the most important alternative energy source today. Nuclear power plants account for about 16 percent of all globally generated electric power. Uranium, therefore, becomes one of the products that is in highest demand: a pound (0.453 kg) of uranium cost only 7 dollars in 2000; today its price exceeds 57 dollars. And this is not the ceiling. Goldman Sachs, JBWere Pty and Rio Tinto Group predict that by the end of 2008 the price of uranium will have grown by 58 percent and reach 90 dollars per pound. This process is boosted by an increase in the demand for uranium, which is spurred by record high oil prices. Moreover, there are now no factors that would be able to lower the price. This is because of the expected shortage of raw material as many countries, including Canada, China, the EU, India, Russia and Japan, plan to build new nuclear plants. China, for example, launched two plants in 2007 and intends to commission another three by 2011. By 2030, 455 reactors will be built worldwide. The cost of electric power produced by nuclear plants does not depend directly on the price of the energy sources. Even if the price of nuclear fuel doubled, the price of electric power would only rise by 9 percent.