OverviewUranium is used for the generation of nuclear energy, which currently provides around 16% of world electricity. If this electricity was generated using fossil fuels, it would generate around 2,600 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year - the equivalent of about half of the world's motor vehicles.
With increasing concerns over these greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels, nuclear power is being seen as part of the answer to the challenge of global warming.
Nuclear energy has been peacefully producing electricity globally for over 50 years. Currently there are around 435 commercial nuclear power reactors in operation worldwide, with another 28 under construction, 64 planned and 158 proposed, particularly in energy-hungry China and India.
Uranium prices have doubled over the past year and are forecast to continue rising on the back of this strong growth in nuclear reactors and lack of supply. In Australia, the Switkowski report of 2006 has highlighted the potential for a domestic nuclear power industry, while the political barriers to the industry's development are rapidly being lowered.
What is uranium?Uranium is a weakly radioactive metal that occurs throughout the earth's crust, being present in most rocks and soils along with many rivers and in seawater.
Only slightly more radioactive than granite used in buildings, uranium is about 500 times more abundant than gold and about as common as tin.
Natural uranium is primarily made up of two isotopes, uranium 235 and uranium 238. The relative proportions of each isotope found in naturally occurring uranium are 99.28% uranium 238 and 0.71% uranium 235. Uranium processed for nuclear fuel is generally enriched to 3-4% uranium 235.
Uranium is a highly energy efficient material. Uranium exported from Australia contains 20,000 times as much extractable energy per kilogram as coal.
Uranium Mining in AustraliaAustralia has the world's largest uranium reserves with approximately 40% of the planet's known supply.
Uranium is currently being safely mined and transported in Australia, under strict international safeguards monitored by the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office (http://www.asno.dfat.gov.au/) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (http://www.iaea.org/).
Mining in Australia is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Practice on Radiation and Protection in the Mining and Milling of Radioactive Ores. This ensures radiation is below acceptable levels.
The transportation of nuclear materials has been carried out safely and routinely around the world for over 50 years. During this period there has never been a transport incident that has caused significant radiological damage to people or the environment.
For more information about Australia's uranium industry, visit http://www.uic.com.au/
Nuclear energyNuclear energy is unique in that it provides a safe, reliable, cost efficient form of practically limitless electricity while producing virtually no carbon dioxide emissions.
To supply Australia's gross electricity production, 6000 tonnes of Uranium (U3O8 ) per year would be needed if utilising nuclear power - a little over half our present production.
A 1000-megawatt reactor producing 7 billion kWh per year would supply 780,000 people (at the Australian average of 9000 kWh each per year).
For more information about nuclear power and its key role in addressing climate change, refer to http://www.world-nuclear.org/
