Uranium: Technology, Market, and Production

March 17, 2021

The growing worldwide demand for less polluting energies has led to a global trend towards diversifying the energy and electricity matrix, making nuclear energy one of the most widely adopted options in several countries. In this context, uranium ore is gaining new relevance on the global stage and is becoming increasingly important in the energy market.

Because it is an energy source in which no polluting greenhouse gases are emitted, nuclear energy is an effective and efficient method of producing electricity on a large scale.

The role of nuclear energy today

The construction and use of thermonuclear power plants has expanded considerably since the 1960s, reaching almost 15% of all world production today, according to data from the World Nuclear Association (WNA). However, this percentage could grow with the construction of new plants, especially in developing countries.

According to data from the Brazilian Infrastructure Center (CBIE), in February 2019, the world's largest producer of nuclear energy was the USA, followed by France, Japan, Russia, South Korea and China.

In a current scenario, China has been standing out, being third in the world ranking. According to GlobalData, China is expected to overtake France as the world's second largest generator of nuclear energy in 2022, and by 2026, it will take over first place, which currently belongs to the USA.

In global terms, nuclear energy ranked fifth in 2020, according to data from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), shown in the graph below. The prospect is that this percentage will increase with the growing concern to reduce emissions of polluting gases, as well as with the expansion of the technology, mainly by China.

Uma matriz energética como um gráfico de pizza

The role of nuclear energy in polluting gas emissions

Electricity generation is responsible for 16% of the world's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and is heavily dependent on fossil fuels such as coal (39%), gas (17%) and oil (8%). With the increase in global energy consumption using fossil fuel reserves, CO2 emissions will rise above sustainable levels. In a BBC report from September 2020, maps from the World Economic Forum's Sustainable Development and Impact Summit show a prediction of drastic change by 2100, involving a warming of more than 4°C. One of the measures to be adopted to avoid the worst-case scenario is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In this way, diversifying the energy matrix, reducing the use of fossil fuels, has a major contribution to make to this problem.

Nuclear energy stands out as an alternative source, producing only 0.4% of the amount of carbon dioxide produced by coal, for example. One problem with this energy matrix is the radioactive waste generated. All radioactive nuclear waste is stored in monitored deep pools and containment areas, or in barrels in the case of low and medium activity waste. In addition, there are places where the waste is placed in decay repositories. In Germany, more than 120,000 barrels of nuclear waste have been placed in the exhausted Asse II salt mine over the last 50 years.

The uranium market today

Global demand for uranium is 67,000 tons/year and, according to the WNA, demand is expected to double by 2030. This increase is attributed to Asia's growing nuclear energy industry and the number of nuclear power plants under construction in China and India, in particular.

Although uranium is also used in medicine and agriculture, its main commercial application is in electricity generation. Thus, the global demand for uranium is mainly in countries that use nuclear energy in their energy matrix.

To meet this demand, the uranium production market is still quite concentrated. Currently, three countries are responsible for more than half of uranium production, with Canada being the world's largest producer with 9,800 tons/year, followed by Australia with 7,600 tons/year and Kazakhstan with 5,200 tons/year. According to Indústrias Nucleares do Brasil (INB), Brazil is the twelfth largest producer of uranium, supplying the demand for the Angra I and Angra II nuclear power plants.

The top 5 publicly traded companies producing uranium are:

Cameco - 2017 production: 10,800 tons of uranium;
Rio Tinto - 2017 production: 3 thousand tons of uranium;
BHP - 2017 production: 2.2 thousand tons of uranium oxide concentrate;
Paladin Energy - 2017 production: 1,800 tons of uranium;
Energy Resources of Australia - 2017 production: 680 tons of uranium.

With regard to global uranium reserves, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimated 5.4 million tons worldwide in 2009, of which 31% is in Australia, 12% in Kazakhstan, 9% in Canada and 9% in Russia.

Uranium production in Brazil and its main characteristics: Case INB and Angra

In Brazil, only INB is authorized by the Federal Government to extract and process uranium and other radioactive minerals. The company is linked to the Ministry of Mines and Energy and was set up to exercise, on behalf of the Union, a monopoly on the mining of radioactive elements and the production and trade of nuclear materials.

Uranium mining in Brazil began in Poços de Caldas (MG) in 1982, where it continued until 1995, after producing around 1,200 tons of uranium concentrate. Today, this former mine has given way to a large lake of acidic water, around 180m high and 1200m in diameter.

Mina do Engenho no Brasil cercada por floresta tropical

Caetité Uraniferous Province

The Cachoeira Mine in Caetité was the first open-pit uranium mine in Bahia, in the Lagoa Real Uranium Province (PULR). It was mined from 2000 to 2015, producing around 3,750 tons of concentrate. With the exhaustion of this mine, activities were paralyzed.

According to INB, uranium production resumed in December 2020 at a new mine in the same region. The Engenho Mine will have the capacity to produce around 260 tons/year. By 2025, production is expected to be 1,400 tons/year, and by 2030, 2,400 tons/year, counting on the contribution of another ongoing project, Santa Quitéria, in Ceará.

In order to increase uranium production, INB, in partnership with the Galvani Group, formed the Santa Quitéria Consortium to exploit the Itataia deposit, in the municipality of Santa Quitéria, Ceará. The uranium ore is associated with phosphate. Reserves are estimated at 80,000 tons, and when operational, the mine will produce 1,600 tons of uranium concentrate per year. According to the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN), exploration is expected to begin in 2024.

Um diagrama da capacidade de produção - Caetité e Santa Quitéria

Yellowcake, concentrado de urânio em uma tigela sobre uma balança.

Production Process - INB

In INB's production process, after the ore is extracted, the material is transported by truck to be crushed. After going through primary and secondary crushing stages to reduce particle size, the material is placed in piles to be leached. In summary, this leaching process consists of extracting the uranium by adding a solution of sulphuric acid. Finally, a liquid is obtained, the uranium liquor.

After being treated with various chemical and physical separation processes, the uranium liquor generates its concentrate, also known as yellowcake. This material is stored in special drums, completely sealed, and goes on to another stage of the nuclear fuel cycle: conversion.

Once the pellets have been manufactured and the fuel element assembled, the Angra 1 and Angra 2 plants are fueled. A fuel element remains in the reactor for approximately three years. After this period they are stored inside the plants, in the spent fuel pools.

Um técnico fica em frente a um dispositivo e realiza análises da água.

Safety protocols in uranium exploration and processing

It is important to emphasize that for all uranium-related processes, all precautions associated with radiological protection are maintained and respected. For this reason, all the procedures followed must comply with the regulations of bodies such as the National Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN) and the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA).

It is worth noting that all the professionals involved must use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), according to their role and designated workplaces. In addition, all employees undergo bioanalysis tests, using urine, where the radiation dose is counted, monitored and reported to CNEN.

With regard to the environment, mention should be made of the work of a team at the INB unit in Caetité. Dedicated to carrying out environmental monitoring programs, the team ensures the quality of the environment and the health of the communities near the mining site.

These programs check the characteristics of the soil, sediments, water, dust and also any changes in the background radiation in the region. In short, this data is collected and sent by INB to be evaluated and approved by the regulatory bodies, ensuring greater reliability for these results.

Would you like to know a little more about uranium? Check out our blog post: Uranium: Geology, Exploration and Applications or contact us!

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