The U.S. Has Imposed a Ban on the Import of Russian Uranium For Nuclear Energy

The United States House of Representatives passed a bill prohibiting the import of Russian low-enriched uranium for nuclear power plants. 

This information was reported by The Hill.

The law was voted on with full bipartisan support. As a result, the import of low-enriched Russian uranium will become illegal 90 days after the law takes effect.

According to Democrat representative Frank Pallone, the combination of the import ban on Russian uranium and investments in domestic facilities will provide the private industry with confidence and incentives necessary for investing in the nuclear fuel supply chain.

It's worth noting that, according to the Energy Information Administration, most of the uranium that reaches the U.S. and powers American stations is imported. In 2022, about 12% of uranium was imported from Russia.

"One of the most urgent security threats America faces right now is our dangerous reliance on Russia’s supply of nuclear fuels for our nuclear fleet," said Republican Cathy McMorris Rodgers.

At the same time, the law allows for exceptions to the ban on Russian uranium if there are no other viable sources of uranium to support U.S. nuclear reactors.

Recall that in November, the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Office of Nuclear Energy, Kathryn Huff, stated in an interview with the Financial Times that the United States' dependence on Russian nuclear fuel poses a critical threat to national security and the country's climate goals.

Huff also stated that Russia controls almost 50% of the world's uranium enrichment capacities and has been dumping prices in the industry for many years, offering cheap products with enriched uranium on the world markets, successfully attempting to undermine fuel supply chains for nuclear energy in the U.S.

Earlier, it was also revealed that in 2023, the European Union increased the import of Russian nuclear fuel and services for Russian reactors compared to 2021.

The Euratom Supply Agency (ESA) emphasized that Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, and Slovakia are European countries that still operate reactors of the Soviet-designed VVER type. Last year, these five countries purchased 30% more services from Russia and 22% more fuel.

Earlier, The Gaze investigated the dependence of Western economies on ROSATOM, the world's largest producer of cheap enriched uranium.