Uranium demand, mining production and deficit[21]
| Country | Uranium required 2006-08[129] | % of world demand | Indigenous mining production 2006[130] | Deficit (-surplus) |
|---|
 USA | 18,918 tonnes (42×106 lb) | 29.3% | 2,000 tonnes (4.4×106 lb) | 16,918 tonnes (37×106 lb) |
 France | 10,527 tonnes (23×106 lb) | 16.3% | 0 | 10,527 tonnes (23×106 lb) |
 Japan | 7,659 tonnes (17×106 lb) | 11.8% | 0 | 7,659 tonnes (17×106 lb) |
 Russia | 3,365 tonnes (7.4×106 lb) | 5.2% | 4,009 tonnes (8.8×106 lb) | −644 tonnes (−1.4×106 lb) |
 Germany | 3,332 tonnes (7.3×106 lb) | 5.2% | 68.03 tonnes (0.1500×106 lb) | 3,264 tonnes (7.2×106 lb) |
 South Korea | 3,109 tonnes (6.9×106 lb) | 4.8% | 0 | 3,109 tonnes (6.9×106 lb) |
 UK | 2,199 tonnes (4.8×106 lb) | 3.4% | 0 | 2,199 tonnes (4.8×106 lb) |
| Rest of world | 15,506 tonnes (34×106 lb) | 24.0% | 40,327 tonnes (89×106 lb) | −24,821 tonnes (−55×106 lb) |
| Total | 64,615 tonnes (140×106 lb) | 100.0% | 46,403 tonnes (100×106 lb) | 18,211 tonnes (40×106 lb) |
|---|
Peak uranium for individual nations[edit]
Eleven countries,
Germany, the
Czech Republic,
France,
DR Congo,
Gabon,
Bulgaria,
Tajikistan,
Hungary,
Romania,
Spain,
Portugal and
Argentina, have seen uranium production peak, and rely on imports for their nuclear programs.
[15][16] Other countries have reached their peak production of Uranium and are currently on a decline.
- Germany—Between 1946 and 1990, Wismut, the former East German uranium mining company, produced a total of around 220 kilotonnes (490×106 lb) of uranium. During its peak, production exceeded 7 kilotonnes (15×106 lb) per year. In 1990, uranium mining was discontinued as a consequence of the German unification.[15] The company could not compete on the world market. The production cost of its uranium was three times the world price.[131]
- India—India, having already hit its production peak, is finding itself in making a tough choice between using its modest and dwindling uranium resources as a source to keep its weapons programs rolling or it can use them to produce electricity.[132] Since India has abundant thorium reserves, it is switching to nuclear reactors powered by the thorium fuel cycle.
- Sweden —Sweden started uranium production in 1965 but was never profitable. They stopped mining uranium in 1969.[133] Sweden then embarked on a massive project based on American light water reactors. Nowadays, Sweden imports its uranium mostly from Canada, Australia and the former Soviet Union.
- UK - 1981The U.K.'s uranium production peaked in 1981 and the supply is running out. Yet the UK still plans to build more nuclear power plants.[50]
- France - 1988—In France uranium production attained a peak of 3,394 tonnes (7.5×106 lb) in 1988. At the time, this was enough for France to meet the half of its reactor demand from domestic sources.[134] By 1997, production was 1/5 of the 1991 levels. France markedly reduced its market share since 1997.[135] In 2002, France ran out of uranium.[130]
US uranium production peaked in 1960, and again in 1980 (US Energy Information Administration)
- U.S. - 1980—The United States was the world's leading producer of uranium from 1953 until 1980, when annual US production peaked at 16,810 tonnes (37×106 lb) (U3O8) according to the OECD redbook.[136] According to the CRB yearbook, US production the peak was at 19,822 tonnes (44×106 lb).[137] The U.S. production hit another maximum in 1996 at 6.3 million pounds (2.9 kt) of uranium oxide (U3O8), then dipped in production for a few years.[138] Between 2003 and 2007, there has been a 125% increase in production as demand for uranium has increased. However, as of 2008, production levels have not come back to 1980 levels
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