No Russian Uranium In Wyoming, Company Promises

There was immediate reaction across Wyoming when it was announced that the fuel for Wyoming's first nuclear power plant would come from Russia or a part Russian-owned company.

Even Governor Mark Gordon stepped up to object.  

“Currently our nuclear resources come from Russia, and we need to make sure that we have a domestic source of uranium just like we used to,” Governor Gordon Said. “We’re very anxious to see the project move forward. We’re really hoping that this helps to revitalize Wyoming’s very important uranium industry.”

Even if we put the Ukrainian war aside, we have plenty of uranium right here in our own state. Heck, we used to export it.

But after the Uranium One deal, Russia is now part-owner of U.S.-produced uranium.

Back in 2021, Wyoming Business Report reported:

In a move that may mean a huge upswing in uranium mining in Converse County and Wyoming, Uranium Energy Corporation (UEC) has entered into an agreement with Russia’s Uranium One Investments Inc...

One, to acquire all issued and outstanding shares of Uranium One Americas, Inc. (U1A) for a total purchase price of $112 million in cash and the replacement of $19 million in reclamation bonding.

The deal will add approximately 100,000 acres in Wyoming’s prolific uranium producing Powder River and Great Divide Basins consisting of dozens of under-explored, mineralized brownfield projects, backed by detailed databases of historic uranium exploration and development programs, thus greatly enhancing the potential for resource expansion, according to a press release from UEC Nov. 9. (Wyoming Business Report).

So even if the uranium came from Wyoming it might still be Russian Uranium.

In a reaction to the complaints the company constructing the power plant in Kemmerer Wyoming has announced that they will not be using Russian uranium. Cowboy State Daily interviewed a spokesperson for the company on Friday.

What might confuse some people is that they said, while they will not be importing from Russia, this was not an ideal situation for them.

Apparently, the only facility that can produce commercial quantities of high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) is owned and operated by Tenex and Russia.

“We will not be using Russian uranium in the Natrium reactor in Wyoming,” Navin said. “TerraPower is actively investing in the domestic supply chain for its fuel and working with elected leaders to develop more support for American enrichment. This work is having a positive effect in Congress and we will continue to work on this urgent issue.”(Cowboy State Daily).

Their solution is to create a competitor. That answer should make folks a lot happier.

“Recognizing this gap in the supply chain, last year, TerraPower allocated funds within the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program proposal … to help create an American competitor to Tenex, and we are working with Congress and the Department of Energy to expedite the development of domestic enrichment capability,” Navin said. (Cowboy State Daily).

There is plenty to be found right here in Wyoming.

A global mining business claims to have found "significant deposits" of uranium in Wyoming’s Red Desert.

GTI Resources discovered a likely source of raw uranium, or yellowcake, through a first-time exploratory drill program called the “Thor” project in the Great Divide Basin, said Bruce Lane, GTI Resources director.

“We’re confident we have established there’s a mineralized system here,” Lane told (Cowboy State Daily).