British uranium production will phase out Russian

The future of nuclear power

Great Britain (TT-AFP)

The British government has announced that it wants to produce advanced nuclear fuel that it can currently only buy from Russia.

300 million pounds, equivalent to SEK 3.9 billion, is being invested to develop so-called Haleu fuel, which contains five to twenty percent enriched uranium.

Production of fuel in the United States recently began, but only one Russian facility is currently producing uranium on a commercial scale, according to the UN Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA.

“We stood by Putin in oil, gas and financial markets. We will not allow him to threaten us with nuclear fuel,” Energy Security Minister Claire Coutinho said in a statement.

“This will be important for energy security at home and abroad,” he adds.

The fuel is needed to power many new advanced nuclear reactors, including the smaller modular reactors the UK is planning to build.

The investment is part of the UK's plan to supply 24 gigawatts of electricity from nuclear power by 2050, a quarter of Britain's electricity needs.