Nuclear reactors, but no fuel

Atomic energy goes through a revival. But already in 10 to 15 years time, there will be a severe shortage of uranium.

The arguments against nuclear energy are well known: nuclear waste, nuclear weapons and nuclear accidents. All serious threats, but we don’t have to dig them up again this time. There is a more ordinary reason why the present-day revival of atomic energy is no solution to our energy woes. A nuclear plant does not run on solar energy, wind, air or water, but on (enriched) uranium. That radioactive element was dirt cheap for a long time, but that period has ended. At the beginning of 2000 a pound of uranium had a price tag of 10 dollars, in July 2007 the price was 136 dollar. This is a rise of 1300 percent.